Meta child safety trial starts Tuesday. NJ among states taking company to court

Four states will make their case that Meta knowingly designed Facebook and Instagram to encourage addictive use by children and teens.

A landmark trial over allegations that Meta knowingly designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children and teens begins Tuesday, with New Jersey among four states presenting their case against the social media giant.

The trial in federal court in Oakland, California, could have sweeping consequences for Meta. The states are seeking substantial financial damages from Meta, as well as changes to how the company operates Facebook and Instagram.

California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are the plaintiffs in the case, which stems from a broader lawsuit filed by a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general in 2023. Matt Platkin was the attorney general at the time.

The lawsuit alleges that Meta deliberately baked features into its social media platforms that encourage children and teenagers to spend excessive amounts of time on the platforms despite knowing about risks to their mental and physical health. The plaintiffs also accuse the company of misleading young users, their families and the public about those risks.

New Jersey has co-led the nationwide investigation into Meta since 2021.

“Meta has endangered the mental health of an entire generation of kids, with addictive features it knew would have these horrific effects,” New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said Monday. “I cannot stress strongly enough how proud I am of the attorneys on our team and from around the country who are working round-the-clock to hold Meta accountable.”

The case is one of thousands of lawsuits Meta faces over allegations involving the safety of children and teenagers on its platforms. But the states’ case could be particularly consequential because of the potential financial penalties and changes to Meta’s business practices.

The lawsuit alleges that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to drive excessive use by young people, distracting them during school and disrupting their sleep, while failing to adequately disclose the risks.

The states also allege that Meta illegally collected and used personal information from children under the age of 13, in violation of the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. New Jersey officals allege that the company’s conduct also violated state consumer protection laws.

Meta has repeatedly tried to prevent the case from going to trial. A federal judge rejected an attempt to dismiss the lawsuit in 2024 and in June denied Meta’s request for summary judgment, which could have ended the case without a trial.

Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed a Meta appeal challenging the lawsuit under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and declined to pause the trial.

The case comes amid growing scrutiny in the United States and abroad over the effects of social media on children.

In March, a California jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in a lawsuit brought by a 20-year-old woman named Kaley who alleged that she started using the platforms beginning at age 10 and that they contributed to her anxiety, depression, self-harm, body dysmorphia and dangerous dependence on social media. The companies were ordered to pay her $6 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

Some countries have adopted restrictions on children’s use of social media, increasing pressure on technology companies over how their platforms are designed for and marketed to younger users.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said Monday that this Meta case is the largest consumer protection lawsuit in American history.

“We’ll show a jury that Meta concealed what it knew about the harm its products cause young people because looking away was more profitable,” said Coleman. “AGs are in the perfect position to get this done. We did it with the Tobacco Settlement in the 1990s. We did it with the companies behind the opioid crisis. We’ll do it again with Meta.”