Parents gathered outside a federal courthouse in Oakland, California, on Tuesday, clutching photos of their children, as Meta began defending itself in a landmark trial. Twenty-nine states, including California, accuse the company of intentionally designing Facebook and Instagram to foster addiction in young users while downplaying the platforms’ inherent risks.
Opening statements in the trial highlighted the emotional toll of social media on young people, with advocates presenting a list of nearly 600 children and young adults who they allege were harmed by Meta's platforms. Among those present was Mary Rodee, whose 15-year-old son died by suicide in 2021 after being targeted by a predator on Facebook. "They call it spontaneous suicide. I call it what it was, the predictable outcome of a system that protects corporations instead of children," Rodee told Reuters.
Another parent, whose 14-year-old son died from fentanyl after being deceived by a drug dealer on Snapchat, expressed similar sentiments. "We want Meta, in short, to stop hurting our kids, stop knowingly hurting our kids, stop using features that you know create mental health harms to kids," California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated.
During the proceedings, California Deputy Attorney General Megan O’Neill informed the eight-person jury that Meta's core business strategy involves “hooking the users, holding them for as long as they can, harvesting their data, and then hiding the truth from the public.” O’Neill added, “It worked especially well for kids. Meta needed kids, and it needed to reassure the people who cared about those kids that the kids are safe.”
Meta has strongly contested these allegations, arguing that there is no definitive evidence linking social media use to adolescent well-being issues. Meta attorney Paul Schmidt acknowledged that some users experience difficulties with social media but maintained that the company does not consider its products to be dangerous. "They don’t believe they’re going to do well if people don’t like their service," Schmidt said.
The trial carries significant potential consequences for Meta, with the company itself warning that penalties could reach as high as $1.4 trillion if it is found liable. The states are seeking substantial changes to Facebook and Instagram, proposing measures such as eliminating features like 'likes' and infinite scrolling, implementing time limits for younger users, and enforcing stricter age verification to prevent children under 13 from accessing the platforms.
Arturo Bejar, a former Meta safety engineer and the states’ first witness, testified that the company operated under a mantra of “move fast and break things,” suggesting that safety considerations were often secondary. He stated that numerous products, including Reels, were released without initial safety assessments.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri are expected to testify during the trial, which is scheduled to continue for six weeks. The case, which commenced on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, centers on accusations that Meta illegally collected and utilized children's data, violating federal law and designing its platforms to be addictive, all while misleading the public about the associated dangers.