RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Dozens of states accuse the company of violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
Wally Skalij/Getty Images This week, Meta heads to court in yet another trial over social media addiction and other alleged harms caused by its apps. The case is the latest test for the platform, which is facing thousands of lawsuits over its handling of users' safety and the impact of its apps on teens' mental health.
The trial kicks off Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, after Meta lost a last-ditch attempt to get the case dismissed last week . It could see testimony from top officials at Meta, including Mark Zuckerberg, and could result in record-breaking penalties for the company.
The case stems from a 2023 lawsuit brought against Meta from dozens of states, which accused Meta of intentionally creating addictive features and violating consumer protection laws. The action came after a multi-state investigation into the company's safety practices that officials said revealed serious harms to children and teens.
During the trial, federal Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will hear claims from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey that Meta violated state consumer protection laws by intentionally misleading the public about the safety of its apps. Those four states and 25 others are also suing Meta over alleged violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The states allege Meta broke the law because it knew Instagram and Facebook had users under the age of 13 and collected data about them without permission.
While Meta has faced similar allegations in other trials this year, the impact of this trial could be especially significant. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey haven't publicly disclosed how much they plan to seek. But Meta said in a court filing ahead of the trial that states were seeking penalties as high as $1.4 trillion , an amount it described as "outlandish." Judge Rogers has already indicated that number is "unreasonable," according to remarks reported by Law360 . But she also took issue with Meta's proposed estimate of $4 million.
For Meta, the stakes are especially high because the company is currently facing thousands of other lawsuits that accuse it of harming users. Juries in Los Angeles and New Mexico have already ruled against Meta in high-profile trials that deal with similar issues. (Meta has said it will appeal in both cases.) Another loss could not only be a financial blow, it could give other lawsuits an easier path forward. And while Meta isn't exactly hurting for money, its legal costs are adding up. The company said it spent $2.4 billion on legal costs in the second quarter of 2026 alone.
On its part, Meta believes that the states' claims are unproven and the proposed penalties calculated incorrectly. "The State AGs may call this a landmark case, but their limited claims are unsubstantiated and their financial demands are vastly disproportionate," a company spokesperson said in a statement provided to Engadget.
"The AGs offer no proof anyone in their states was misled, claim benign features like having an additional Instagram account somehow harmed their residents, and attempt to penalize Meta for industry-wide challenges like age verification," the spokesperson continued. "Rather than sticking to the facts or the law, the states have instead decided to chase an outlandish payout. We stand by our record of creating strong protections for teens, and look forward to making our case in court."
The jury in the case has already been selected and opening arguments are set to begin Tuesday, August 18. The trial is expected to last about six weeks. Unlike in a standard jury trial, the eight-member jury will serve in an "advisory" role, as Law360 explains. The judge will have full power over the final verdict and penalties.
Along the way, the trial could also see testimony from some of Meta's most visible executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri. Both men are likely to testify, according to Reuters . Both have also appeared at other trials this year. During testimony in the Los Angeles trial in February, Zuckerberg said that Instagram is meant to be "useful," not addictive.
Audio from the trial will be live streamed on the court's YouTube channel .
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