In a lawsuit that might alter some of the most widely used apps on the planet, a coalition of states suing Meta Platforms over allegations that Facebook and Instagram were created in ways that negatively impacted the mental health of teenage users started presenting its case on Tuesday in a federal court in California.
A bipartisan group of 29 states, led by attorneys from California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, will present their opening arguments to an eight-person jury in Oakland, California. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will decide Meta’s responsibility, but jurors are anticipated to render an advisory decision. Rogers may mandate reforms to Facebook and Instagram and impose civil penalties if she deems Meta culpable.
According to experts, the trial is the largest legal test of social media’s effects on adolescent users to date, and it coincides with a global reckoning about those effects. According to Meta, fines might reach $1.4 trillion, which is comparable to the market value of the Menlo Park, California-based business. Attorneys general stated during a hearing last week that the amount may be closer to $200 billion, or roughly three years’ worth of Meta’s after-tax earnings, although they have not yet specified the penalties.
In addition, California, Colorado, Kentucky, and fresh Jersey want Meta to change its platforms, remove the infinite scroll that entices users to keep seeing fresh postings, and impose age restrictions. A representative for Meta said in a statement prior to the trial that the company stands by its track record of establishing robust protections for teens and that the states’ allegations are unfounded.
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