Adam Mosseri, chief executive of Instagram, is scheduled to testify this week in a federal trial in Oakland, California, as part of a lawsuit brought by 29 U.S. states alleging that Meta’s platforms addicted children to social media.
The states, led by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, accuse Meta of designing Instagram and Facebook to exploit young users, contributing to anxiety, depression and suicide while misleading the public about safety. Tennessee has filed a separate lawsuit in Nashville with similar claims. The consolidated case is considered the largest legal test to date on the impact of social media on youth mental health.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will oversee the trial, which is expected to run through much of September. The jury will issue an advisory verdict, while the judge will determine liability and potential civil penalties. States have indicated they could seek nearly $200 billion in fines, according to court filings.
Meta has denied the allegations, asserting that internal research shows no clear link between adolescent social media use and diminished well-being. The company maintains that its platforms are designed with safety in mind and that product policies evolve in response to feedback. Mosseri has previously testified that Instagram prioritizes addressing the most pressing issues affecting young users.
The trial follows a Los Angeles jury’s February decision ordering Meta and Alphabet’s Google to pay $6 million to a 20-year-old woman who claimed Instagram and YouTube addiction harmed her during childhood. Earlier in September, a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million to address adolescent mental health concerns, ruling that the company’s platforms constituted a public nuisance.
The outcome of the Oakland trial could set a precedent for future litigation involving social media platforms and child welfare, with potential implications for industry-wide practices and regulatory scrutiny.
