Facebook parent company Meta is set to face a landmark trial in California on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, over allegations that it deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children.
A coalition of US states filed the lawsuit in 2023, with California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey selected to represent the states as the case proceeds to trial.
The states are expected to argue that Meta violated state and federal laws by prioritising user engagement and growth while failing to adequately address the potential safety and mental health risks its platforms pose to children.
Meta, which has more than three billion users worldwide, has strongly rejected the allegations.
The trial got off to an early legal battle after Meta sought to prevent former employee and expert witness Arturo Bejar from testifying. Federal Judge Yvonne Rogers rejected the request, describing it as a “Hail Mary” attempt to “eliminate a strong witness” for the plaintiffs.
Bejar has previously testified against Meta, including in a New Mexico case that the company lost.
Lawyers representing the four states are expected to question Bejar about Meta’s safety and growth practices and whether the company publicly misrepresented information it knew about potential risks, according to court documents.
Meta also asked the judge on Monday, August 17, 2026, to limit the testimony of another potential expert witness, Colin Gray, who is expected to discuss so-called “dark patterns” — design features intended to influence users into making choices that benefit a company.
Meta founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg is among the high-profile witnesses expected to testify during the trial.
A Meta spokesperson told AFP that the company “strongly disagrees” with the allegations.
States Seek Billions In Damages
The financial stakes are also at the centre of the legal battle.
During a hearing last week, lawyers for the states said they were seeking about $200bn in damages, rather than more than $1tn as previously claimed by Meta in a court filing.
The states’ lawyer accused Meta of calculating the higher figure “for shock value.”
Beyond financial penalties, the states are seeking changes to the way Meta operates its platforms.
Eight people were selected last week to serve on an advisory jury, although Judge Rogers will make the final decision in the case. The trial is expected to last about six weeks, with a verdict anticipated by early October 2026.
The case is being closely watched because of its potential implications for the wider social media industry.
Although several lawsuits have sought to hold technology companies accountable for alleged mental health and safety harms, legal experts say the Meta case could have far-reaching consequences because it focuses heavily on the company’s business practices and alleged efforts to maximise user engagement.
Stanford law professor and associate dean Nora Engstrom described the case as potentially marking “the beginning of a broader reckoning” for Meta.
She said a key issue would be the gap between what the company allegedly knew internally and what it disclosed publicly.
Vincent Joralemon, a director at Berkeley’s Life Sciences Law and Policy Centre, said the case could have parallels with the legal battles faced by tobacco companies in the 1990s.
“It really feels like tobacco in the 1990s,” he said.
US states previously sued major tobacco companies over allegations that they downplayed the health risks associated with their products. The litigation culminated in a landmark 1998 settlement involving financial payments and restrictions on tobacco marketing.
Legal experts say the Meta case could similarly force major changes in how social media companies design and market their platforms, particularly in relation to children and teenagers.
AFP
