A landmark trial against Meta commenced on Tuesday in Oakland, California, with 29 US states alleging the company violated federal child privacy laws and state consumer protection statutes. California’s lead attorney characterized the company’s business model as deliberately designed to attract users, retain them on platforms, extract their personal information, and conceal harmful practices from public scrutiny.
The lawsuit centers on Meta’s alleged collection of data from children under 13 without parental consent and the creation of addictive product features targeting minors. If found liable, Meta could face damages reaching $200 billion, equivalent to the company’s prior year revenue, and be forced to fundamentally redesign its platforms. Meta has denied all allegations, with company representatives arguing the states are pursuing an “outlandish payout” and emphasizing existing safety tools and account restrictions for young users.
Key testimony during the trial’s opening week came from Arturo Béjar, a former Meta safety engineer who worked at the company across two periods between 2009 and 2021. Béjar recounted how his teenage daughter experienced sexual harassment on Instagram and stated that his efforts to address child safety concerns were ineffective. He testified that Meta employs a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to child protection and presented data showing 51% of surveyed teens reported harmful experiences on the platform within a week, with only 0.02% of problematic content being removed.
Béjar described sending findings to CEO Mark Zuckerberg on multiple occasions without receiving responses. The trial is anticipated to continue for six to eight weeks, with proceedings overseen by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who will make final determinations regarding liability and damages based on jury recommendations. Meta is defending against thousands of additional lawsuits involving families, school districts, and other state attorneys general, having already lost two previous cases that resulted in approximately $5 billion in combined damages.
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