Meta Faces Major Trial Over Child Privacy and Platform Design

A major trial is set to begin on Tuesday involving a lawsuit filed in 2023 by 30 US states, including California and New York. The states allege that Meta committed numerous violations of federal and state child privacy laws. They are seeking more than 1 trillion US dollars in damages and demanding fundamental changes to how Facebook and Instagram operate for young users. These requested changes include ending infinite scroll, removing like counts, implementing parental verification, and altering recommendation algorithms that the states claim manipulate dopamine. Other demands include the removal of appearance altering image filters, the end of video autoplay, a ban on multiple accounts, and the elimination of ephemeral posts such as Instagram Stories.

The states argue that these features are designed to keep children and teenagers on the platforms for as long as possible and that Meta chose to exploit young people to expand its business. Meta has consistently denied these allegations, stating in a company spokesperson's statement that they strongly disagree with the claims and remain committed to supporting young people. The trial will be presided over by Chief Federal Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is known for being incisive and direct.

This case follows a recent ruling in New Mexico where Judge Bryan Biedscheid fined Meta 942 million US dollars. In that decision, the judge declared Meta a public nuisance, comparing the company to a factory that pollutes the air. He ordered the elimination of like counts for users under 18 and limited push notifications to specific hours. While that order only applies to New Mexico, a victory for the 30 states in the current trial would likely force Meta to implement changes across the entire United States. The states involved in the lawsuit represent nearly two thirds of the US population.