Meta has been facing a flood of lawsuits over social media addiction and alleged harms caused by its apps. This week, the company will head to court in yet another trial over claims that its apps harm teens. The trial starts Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California. A judge rejected Meta’s attempt to dismiss the case, leading to trial. Meta executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, could testify, and this could result in the company facing record-breaking penalties.
Meta’s social media addiction lawsuit heads to trial
For some context, the case comes from a 2023 lawsuit filed by dozens of states. They accuse Meta of deliberately designing addictive features and violating consumer protection laws. The lawsuit followed a multi-state investigation into Meta’s safety practices that officials said found serious harm to children and teens.
During the trial in Oakland, federal judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will hear claims from California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey that Meta violated state consumer protection laws by intentionally misleading consumers about the safety of its apps. These four states and 25 others are also suing Meta over allegedly violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). They allege Meta knew children under 13 were using Instagram and Facebook but still collected their data without parental consent.
Meta has faced similar allegations in other trials this year, but this case could have a major impact. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey have not said how much they plan to seek. However, Meta, in a court filing, said that they could seek up to $1.4 trillion in penalties. It called the amount “outlandish.” Judge Rogers has reportedly called that figure “unreasonable,” but she also took issue with Meta’s much lower estimate of $4 million.
Meta’s legal costs are rising
While that’s that, the stakes are pretty high for Meta, as it faces thousands of other lawsuits that accuse it of harming users. Juries in Los Angeles and New Mexico have already ruled against Meta in similar high-profile cases. Meta plans to appeal both cases, though. Another loss could mean a major financial hit and make it easier for other lawsuits to move forward.
Although Meta might have a lot of money, its legal costs are jumping. The company apparently spent $2.4 billion on legal expenses in the second quarter of 2026 alone. Meta does believe that states’ claims are unproven and that they have miscalculated the potential penalties. “The State AGs may call this a landmark case, but their limited claims are unsubstantiated, and their financial demands are vastly disproportionate,” Meta’s spokesperson said in a statement to Engadget.
The spokesperson further adds the states have not provided evidence that anyone was misled or harmed by features like having an additional Instagram account. The company also argued that the states are trying to penalize it for industry-wide challenges, such as age verification. Meta accused the states of seeking an “outlandish” payout instead of focusing on the facts and the law, while defending its record on teen safety and saying it looks forward to presenting its case in court.
The trial may last six weeks
The jury is already selected, and opening arguments will begin Tuesday, August 18. The trial could last around six weeks. Unlike a standard jury trial, the eight-member jury will reportedly only serve in an “advisory” role. This means the judge will have the final say on the verdict and penalties.
The trial could also feature testimony from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri. Both have testified in other trials this year, with Zuckerberg testifying in the Los Angeles trial in February that Instagram is meant to be “useful,” not addictive.
The post Meta Heads to Court in Major Social Media Addiction Trial appeared first on Android Headlines.
