Meta children's mental health trial opens in California federal court

OAKLAND, Calif. — A federal trial against Meta Platforms began this week in Oakland, California, with state attorneys alleging that Facebook and Instagram harm children's mental health. Lawyers from California, Colorado, New Jersey and Kentucky delivered opening statements on behalf of 29 states across the Democratic and Republican parties. Four of the states argue that Meta designed its two platforms to encourage compulsive use among children and teenagers. The remaining 25 states contend that the platforms' practices around collecting and using personal data from minors violated federal online privacy law. Meta has denied the allegations, saying it did not mislead the public about platform safety and has invested heavily in protecting young users. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers will deliver the final ruling, while an eight-member jury follows the proceedings in an advisory capacity. The trial marks one of the highest-profile legal challenges brought by U.S. states against a major social media company over its impact on minors.