Meta is pushing back on claims made by several state attorneys general in its latest social media addiction trial, saying allegations it misled users about the safety of its apps and that the platforms’ features harmed users are “unsubstantiated.”<\/p>\n
“The State AGs may call this a landmark case, but their limited claims are unsubstantiated and their financial demands are vastly disproportionate,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News on Thursday. “The AGs offer no proof anyone in their states was misled, claim benign features like having an additional Instagram account somehow harmed their residents, and attempt to penalize Meta for industry-wide challenges like age verification.”<\/p>\n
The company claims damages in this case could reach $1.4 trillion.<\/p>\n
“Rather than sticking to the facts or the law, the states have instead decided to chase an outlandish payout,” the spokesperson said. “We stand by our record of creating strong protections for teens, and look forward to making our case in court.”<\/p>\n
The upcoming trial is set to take place in federal court in Oakland, California, and centers on a lawsuit filed against Meta<\/a> in October 2023 in the Northern District of California by a bipartisan coalition of 29 state attorneys general. Four states, California, Colorado, New Jersey and Kentucky, are arguing the case in federal court.<\/p>\n The\u00a0lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0alleges Meta, the tech giant behind Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, has “harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens.” It points to features like infinite scrolling and push notifications, alleging the company’s apps were designed to get young users engaged on the platforms as long as possible.<\/p>\n The lawsuit also alleges Meta<\/a> violated a federal online privacy law by “unlawfully collecting the personal data of its youngest users without their parents’ permission.”<\/p>\n A security guard stands watch by the Meta sign outside the headquarters of Facebook parent company Meta Platforms Inc in Mountain View, California, November 9, 2022.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Peter Dasilva\/Reuters<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The states are also seeking changes to Meta’s apps for users under age 18, including removing infinite scrolling, video auto-play and “like” counts.<\/p>\n Jury selection began Wednesday, and opening arguments are scheduled to begin next Tuesday, Aug. 18. The trial is expected to last seven weeks.<\/p>\n Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri could be called to testify but no schedule has been set yet.<\/p>\n![\"Adam](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/4f13d134-6e66-4b4f-bac0-96a50513f719\/meta-rt-jef-260807_1786112031747_hpMain.jpg?w=375 "\\"Adam")
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