Meta goes on trial on Aug. 18 in federal court in Oakland, California, where attorneys general from 29 states allege that Facebook and Instagram were designed to keep young users hooked and that the company collected data from children under 13 in violation of the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

The states also accuse Meta of misleading consumers about platform safety features. They are seeking fines and court orders that could limit younger users’ access and remove features such as infinite scroll and content recommendation systems.

Similar claims about platform design recently led to a US$6 million verdict in California against Meta and Google.

Meta denies the claims. After opening statements on Aug. 18, the roughly five-week trial is expected to include testimony from Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri.

The jury will serve in an advisory role, while Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will decide liability, penalties, and remedies.

Meta said its theoretical exposure could reach US$1.4 trillion.

The case could have wider implications because TikTok faces similar lawsuits in more than a dozen states.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg