Meta is set to face attorneys general from four US states in an Oakland, California, courtroom on Tuesday in a closely watched case alleging that the company violated child safety and consumer protection laws and contributed to harm to children’s mental health, according to media reports.
The trial, before US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the Northern District of California, stems from a lawsuit filed by 29 states in 2023. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are participating in the trial, which is expected to include testimony from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri.
The states allege that Meta deliberately developed and refined features on its platforms, including infinite scrolling, autoplay and likes, to keep young users engaged for longer periods. They also allege that the company was aware of links between its platforms and problems including anxiety, depression and suicide, while misleading users about the safety of its products.
The lawsuit further alleges that Meta violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by allowing children under 13 to use its platforms and collecting their personal data without parental consent.
Meta has denied the allegations and is challenging the scale of potential damages, which the company says could reach $1.4 trillion. The company’s market capitalisation is around $1.5 trillion.
A Meta spokesperson said the states’ claims were “unsubstantiated” and their financial demands “vastly disproportionate”, arguing that the attorneys general had not demonstrated that users in their states were misled or harmed by the features cited in the lawsuit.
The case is among thousands of lawsuits Meta and other social media companies face in the US over alleged harms to users.
Earlier this month, a New Mexico district court ordered Meta to pay $567 million related to teen mental health issues in the state, along with $375 million in civil penalties.
In March, a jury also found Meta and YouTube negligent in a separate case involving allegations that their platforms contributed to a user’s social media addiction, anxiety, depression, self-harm and body dysmorphia. The companies were ordered to pay $6 million in punitive and compensatory damages.
First Published on August 18, 2026, 08:50:32 IST
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