A major federal jury trial opening Tuesday could permanently reshape operations at Meta’s flagship platforms — Facebook and Instagram.
The legal action, initiated in 2023 by a coalition of 30 US states including New York and California, alleges extensive violations of state and federal child privacy laws.
Representing roughly two-thirds of the US population, the states are seeking damages upwards of $1 trillion.
They are also demanding sweeping structural changes to the platforms’ core operations, such as ending “like” counts and infinite scroll features.
Exploitative business model alleged
The lawsuit contends that Meta- currently valued at approximately $1.5 trillion on the stock market – deliberately chose to exploit young people to hook them onto its platforms, thereby expanding its business and user base.
To keep children and teenagers on the platforms for as long as possible, the states argue that Meta utilises “dopamine-manipulating recommendation algorithms,” frequent push notifications that make it difficult to reduce screen time, and autoplay video content.
The states’ demands also include the implementation of parental verification processes for teenage users, a prohibition on the creation of multiple accounts, the removal of appearance-altering image filters, and an end to disappearing or “ephemeral” posts like Instagram Stories.
However, Meta has consistently denied all accusations, BBC reports.
In an official statement, a company spokeswoman said, “We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”
Judicial scrutiny and precedents
The claims are being presented to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, a chief federal judge in California with a nearly 20-year reputation for being incisive and direct. Judge Gonzalez Rogers previously presided over the high-profile Elon Musk v Sam Altman trial.
This trial follows a severe legal setback for Meta in New Mexico, where Judge Bryan Biedscheid fined the company a collective $942 million and ordered matching operational reforms.
Judge Biedscheid’s order banned teenagers from sending or receiving nudity, restricted push notifications to specific hours, and eliminated “like” counts for users under the age of 18.
Crucially, Judge Biedscheid declared Meta a “public nuisance” akin to an air-polluting factory, marking the first time a social media firm has been legally designated as such. Meta has announced its intention to appeal against the New Mexico ruling.
Mental health crisis
While “like” counts have been a core feature of the platform since its early years when it was known solely as Facebook, they are increasingly under fire for causing psychological harm.
During testimony, in a separate trial, earlier this year, a young woman named Kaley described how she created dozens of YouTube and Instagram accounts at the age of nine to “like” her own posts in a bid to seek validation and self-worth. Kaley recalled feeling depressed at the time, leading to a formal diagnosis of depression when she was 10 years old.
In the current multi-state trial, attorneys have leveraged over two million documents handed over by Meta. The states argue that Meta’s own internal research explicitly linked Instagram’s “like” counts to “social comparison,” which subsequently drove increased loneliness, worse body image, and a negative affect or mood.
With Judge Biedscheid having already ruled that Meta’s long-term operational methods contributed to a growing “youth mental health crisis,” the 30 state attorneys will now attempt to convince Judge Gonzalez Rogers to make a similar determination on a national scale.
