Meta Faces Landmark Trial in California Over Allegations of Designing Platforms to Hook Children
Meta is currently on trial in Oakland, California, facing a landmark multistate lawsuit led by California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey. The lawsuit alleges that Meta intentionally designed its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, to be addictive for young users and misled the public about the associated risks. During opening arguments, California Deputy Attorney General Megan O’Neill presented internal company memos, including one titled 'The young ones are the best ones,' to argue that Meta actively targeted preteen users. Meta's defense attorney, Paul W. Schmidt, countered by stating the company has made efforts to protect young users and that the law prevents them from collecting data on users under 13, which would be necessary to exclude them effectively. This trial is a bellwether case, with potential implications for hundreds of similar lawsuits. 
