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US states accuse Meta of hiding research on teen Instagram addiction
The trial is scheduled to run six to eight weeks in federal court in Oakland, with jurors expected to hear testimony from Mark Zuckerberg and other Meta executives.
US state attorneys general opened a landmark jury trial in federal court in Oakland, California, accusing Meta of covering up internal research that they say shows Instagram is addictive for teenagers. In opening statements, prosecutors argued Meta knew its platforms harmed young people but withheld that information from the public, contending the company failed to meet what they described as a shared responsibility to protect children’s health and wellbeing, according to the Guardian Business.
Lawyers for the 29 states said the lawsuit alleges Meta and its Instagram and Facebook units designed addictive products that lure young users and damage their mental health. Prosecutors pointed to internal materials they described in court, including one document using language about children being “the best ones,” and another stating, “Teens are hooked despite how it makes them feel. Instagram is addictive.”
The case, first filed in October 2023 and brought jointly by the states as part of multidistrict litigation, seeks to show Meta collected data on children under 13 without parental permission, which the complaint says violates federal and state laws. It also alleges Meta refused to abandon harmful features despite knowing the risks, with motives tied to maximizing profit, the Guardian Business reported.
The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks, with jurors hearing testimony from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri and other company executives. After opening statements, the government called whistleblower Arturo Béjar, a former Meta employee, as its first witness, the outlet added.