TRENTON, N.J. — Opening arguments are set to begin Tuesday in a federal trial against Meta Platforms Inc. over allegations that the company designed features on Facebook and Instagram that encouraged excessive use by children and teenagers and harmed their mental and physical health.
The trial is set to begin Aug. 18 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in Oakland. New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport will be joined by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman.
“New Jersey has co-led the nationwide investigation of Meta since 2021, spending thousands of hours investigating Meta’s unlawful conduct. As we look forward to proving at trial, Meta has endangered the mental health of an entire generation of kids, with addictive features it knew would have these horrific effects,” said Attorney General Davenport. “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 lawsuit, filed in 2023, alleges Meta designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and Facebook that drove excessive use by children and teens, distracting them during the school day, disrupting their sleep and harming their mental and physical health.
The states also allege Meta illegally collected and used data from children under 13 and misled users, their families and the public about the safety of its platforms.
The lawsuit alleges the company violated federal and state laws, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and the New Jersey Consumer Protection Act.
“Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to keep kids on the platforms longer and longer — to the point of physical and mental harm. Exploiting our most vulnerable residents to boost corporate profits is not only morally wrong, it’s also illegal,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Alongside my colleagues from, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, and with support from states across the country, we head into trial ready to hold Meta accountable. As the home of great innovators and Silicon Valley, California has a particular opportunity and obligation to be a catalyst for change.”
“Nearly three years ago, we took action because we believed Meta was putting profits ahead of the health and safety of our kids. Now we are ready to present the evidence and make our case,” said Attorney General Weiser. “Meta knew its platforms could harm young people, yet continued practices designed to keep them hooked—sacrificing sleep, being distracted in school, and even considering suicide–because more time online meant more money for Meta. At a time when young people are facing a serious mental health crisis, that is unacceptable. Powerful technology companies must follow the law, and when they don’t, we will hold them accountable.”
“This week, we’re in court with 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 Attorney General 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.”
The states have previously defeated attempts by Meta to end the case. In 2024, the states blocked an attempt to dismiss the lawsuit. In June, a court denied Meta’s attempt to obtain summary judgment, which would have terminated the lawsuit.
Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit dismissed Meta’s appeal challenging the lawsuit based on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and denied Meta’s motion to pause the trial.
