NJ helps lead multistate trial accusing Meta of harming children’s mental health
New Jersey, California, Colorado and Kentucky are representing a coalition of 29 states in the federal case against the Facebook and Instagram parent company.
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Opening statements began Tuesday in a federal trial over allegations that Meta intentionally designed Facebook and Instagram features to make its platforms addictive to young people, harming the mental health of children and teens.
New Jersey, California, Colorado and Kentucky are representing a bipartisan coalition of 29 states that sued Meta in 2023. The four states are collectively seeking as much as $1.4 trillion in damages.
The states argue that Meta knowingly designed features, including recommendation algorithms, infinitely scrolling feeds, likes and notifications, to encourage young people to repeatedly use its platforms while boosting the company’s profits.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said she was disturbed by evidence concerning the effects of Instagram features on children.
“I felt sick when I read the effects of Meta’s Instagram features on still-developing children, including pro-anorexia content and algorithms that, if you view content about self-harm, lead the platform to deliver even more content about self-harm,” Davenport said.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta accused Meta of knowing its products posed risks while misleading the public about them.
RELATED: New Jersey takes Meta to trial over alleged harm to children on Facebook, Instagram
“They knew their product was dangerous, and they lied to the public. They lied to Congress. They told the public, they told the world, that their product wasn’t dangerous,” Bonta said.
Meta denies the allegations. A company spokesperson said the attorneys general have not shown that anyone was misled and are seeking to hold Meta responsible for industrywide challenges, including age verification.
The trial is expected to last at least six weeks. Testimony is expected from top Meta executives, including founder Mark Zuckerberg.
