Meta faces trial that could force changes on Facebook and Instagram

Meta's lawyers are expected to argue that the company invested heavily in measures to protect children and adolescents in the digital environment. The company maintains that it has not made misleading statements about safety and that the states have not provided evidence of concrete harm caused to their residents. Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify at the trial, which is expected to last several weeks. The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, is also expected to give evidence. Judicial challenge Due to the possible financial and regulatory impacts on Meta, experts consider this the most relevant case ever faced by the company in legal disputes related to young social media users. The trial comes amid global debate about the effects of these platforms on the mental health of children and adolescents. Meta stated that the fines under discussion in the process could reach US$1.4 trillion (R$7.3 trillion), a value close to the company's market value, estimated at around US$1.5 trillion (R$7.8 trillion). The attorneys general, however, have not yet detailed the amount they intend to request from the Court. At a hearing held last week, they said the value could approach US$200 billion (R$1.040 billion). The Target estimate considers a scenario of maximum application of the expected penalties, while the states indicated a much lower value during preliminary discussions of the case. The attorneys general of Colorado, Kentucky, California and New Jersey are also asking the courts to force Meta to adopt stricter age verification mechanisms, eliminate features such as infinite scrolling and make other changes to its platforms across the country. In a statement released before the opening of arguments, a spokesperson for Meta stated that the states' accusations are unfounded and that the company maintains a history of measures aimed at protecting teenagers. "The attorneys general present no evidence that anyone in their states was defrauded. They claim that harmless features like the ability to maintain an additional Instagram account somehow harmed their residents and seek to hold Meta accountable for common industry-wide challenges like age verification," the spokesperson said. "Instead of sticking to the facts and the law, the states decided to seek exorbitant compensation." How the case against Meta began The lawsuit filed by the states in 2023 stems from a joint investigation into the impacts of Instagram and Facebook on children and teenagers. The investigation was announced following revelations by Frances Haugen, a former Meta employee and whistleblower, who testified to a US Senate committee in 2021. She stated that the company knew that its products could harm children and adolescents and knew ways to reduce these risks, but chose not to implement broader changes considering their impact on the company's financial results. The states must present internal documents and studies produced by Meta, in addition to testimonies from former employees and experts linked to the company. Meta and other social media companies such as Snap Inc, TikTok parent ByteDance and YouTube parent Alphabet are facing increasing pressure from lawmakers and the courts. The lawsuit is among thousands of cases filed against social media companies by states, municipalities, school districts and individuals, alleging that their products cause harm to children and teenagers. Meta said the growing wave of lawsuits could significantly affect its business and financial results.