PBS NewsHour reported that opening statements began Tuesday in a California federal court in Oakland in a Meta Platforms trial over alleged social media harms to children. PBS described the case as one of several recent lawsuits against social media companies.
PBS, carrying an Associated Press report by Barbara Ortutay, reported that attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are trying the first part of a larger state case, while 25 other states are set for a later trial. The same report said the states seek financial penalties and operational changes to Facebook and Instagram.
The AP report published by PBS said the lawsuit accuses Meta of contributing to a youth mental health crisis by designing features that the states say addict children to its platforms. The report also said Meta stated it believes it has a strong case.
In a separate PBS NewsHour explainer, Hannah Grabenstein reported that the four trial states claim Meta violated children's privacy and deployed "psychologically manipulative" product features. The explainer also said Meta "denies each and every allegation" and quoted Penn State Dickinson Law professor Daryl Lim as saying Meta disputes the science and the legal theories.
The Federal Trade Commission's COPPA page says the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule applies to operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13, and to operators with actual knowledge that they collect personal information from a child under 13. PBS reported that the states also allege Meta collected data from children under 13 without parental consent.
For Los Angeles families following child safety litigation, Lederer & Nojima's child injury lawyer Los Angeles page explains the firm's local injury work. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.