Meta is set to face a landmark US trial over allegations that it deliberately designed Instagram and Facebook to encourage compulsive use among children and teenagers, with opening statements scheduled for Tuesday.
An eight-member advisory jury has been selected for proceedings in federal court in Oakland, California, before US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. The trial is expected to continue for around seven weeks.
The case originated from a lawsuit filed in October 2023 by a bipartisan coalition of 33 state attorneys general. The current proceedings involve 29 states, with California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey presenting claims under their respective consumer-protection laws.
The court will also consider the coalition’s federal claim under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
The states allege that Meta knowingly incorporated features into Instagram and Facebook that encourage younger users to remain on the platforms for extended periods while failing to adequately disclose the associated risks to children and parents.
Among the features cited are infinite scrolling, notifications, likes, visual filters and algorithmic recommendations, which the plaintiffs argue can promote compulsive use and contribute to physical and mental health problems among young people.
Meta is separately accused of collecting personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent, potentially violating COPPA.
In June, Judge Rogers ruled that Meta’s procedures for notifying and obtaining consent from parents did not meet COPPA requirements. However, the trial must still determine whether the law applied in individual circumstances, including whether Meta knew specific users were younger than 13.
Meta denies wrongdoing, pointing to measures it has introduced to protect younger users, including Teen Accounts, age-detection systems, parental supervision features and restrictions on potentially harmful material.
The company has also raised legal protections under Section 230 and the First Amendment. Although the judge has narrowed some aspects of the lawsuit, its central allegations concerning platform design and alleged misrepresentation have been allowed to proceed.
The outcome could have significant implications for how Meta designs and operates Instagram and Facebook for younger users in the United States.