Overview
- Opening statements began on Aug. 18 in a multiweek federal trial in Oakland before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, with an eight-person advisory jury giving nonbinding findings to the judge.
- A bipartisan coalition of 29 states, led at trial by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, alleges Meta built features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, like counts and recommendation algorithms to maximize youth engagement and profit.
- The states also say Meta violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting data on users under 13 without verifiable parental consent.
- Meta denies the claims and calls the proposed penalties disproportionate, noting the company disclosed a potential $1.4 trillion exposure while state lawyers and filings have discussed figures nearer $200 billion; earlier rulings in Los Angeles and New Mexico have already ordered large sums against Meta.
- The trial will hinge on internal Meta research and witness testimony with expected appearances from Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri, and its outcome could force product changes, affect millions of young users, and shape thousands of related lawsuits and regulatory efforts.