In a landmark legal battle, a court in Oakland, California, is hearing accusations against Meta, asserting that the company has deliberately made children dependent on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram. The proceedings involve comprehensive claims from attorneys representing several US states and Meta’s legal team, with deliberations expected to last six weeks.
Controversy Over Youth Engagement
The trial, which began on Tuesday, centres on allegations that Meta has been negligent in preventing 11 and 12-year-olds from accessing Instagram. California’s attorney argues that the actual number of these underage users is in the “millions”, contrary to Meta’s estimate of just over 100,000. Meta argues that the notion of social media addiction is not grounded in reality.
Legal and Ethical Implications
In a broader context, the lawsuit brings together 29 US states, spearheaded by California and New York, accusing Meta of flouting both federal and state privacy regulations for children. The states are pursuing damages in the billions and are urging Meta to modify features like “like” counts and infinite scrolling on its platforms.
Scrutiny of Internal Practices
California’s legal representation, led by attorney Megan O’Neill, used internal data and communications from Meta to bolster their claims. A notable piece of evidence from Meta’s research described teenagers possessing “an addict’s narrative” regarding Instagram usage. Another finding acknowledged that certain Instagram features, which are intended to increase user engagement, might compromise user well-being.
Disputing Addiction Allegations
Meta’s decisions, O’Neill contended, prioritised profit over safety, with the company described as intentionally targeting younger users despite public assurances of safety. O’Neill shared with the jury a summary of Meta’s operational philosophy: “Hook the users; hold them for as long as they can; harvest their data; hide the truth when making public statements.”
Meta’s Defence
Paul Schmidt, representing Meta, counter-argued the state’s claims, addressing findings that identified both positive and neutral effects of Instagram on teen users. Schmidt questioned the validity of claims suggesting that social media addiction is a phenomenon, pointing to the lack of concrete research supporting such assertions.
He further elaborated that Meta has been implementing tools to aid users in managing their social media consumption. According to Schmidt, chief figures at Meta, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram’s head Adam Mosseri, have stated that their platforms were never intended to be addictive.
Reporting based on coverage first published by bbc.co.uk.