OAKLAND, Calif. — Opening arguments began Tuesday in a federal jury trial pitting attorneys general from 29 states against Meta Platforms, in a case they call "the largest consumer protection lawsuit in American history" and one that could force structural changes to how Facebook and Instagram operate for young users.
The first four attorneys general to reach trial — from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey — will present their claims to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the Northern District of California over a proceeding expected to run about seven weeks. The BBC reported the states are seeking upwards of $1 trillion; Al Jazeera put possible damages at $1.4 trillion. The remaining 25 states will go to trial later.
What the states want
The complaint accuses Meta of designing addictive features and knowingly harming the mental health of minors, and of collecting data on children under 13 without parental consent, in violation of federal law. Beyond damages, the states are asking the court to order Meta to implement parental verification for teenage users, remove image filters that alter appearance, end autoplay of video, prohibit the creation of multiple accounts, end disappearing posts such as Instagram Stories, and change what the filings call its "dopamine-manipulating recommendation algorithms." The plaintiffs also want Meta to end like counts and infinite scroll for young users.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, in a written statement carried by AP News, said: "This week, we're in court with the largest consumer protection lawsuit in American history. We'll show a jury that Meta concealed what it knew about the harm its products cause young people because looking away was more profitable."
Meta's defense
Meta rejects the allegations. "We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people," a company spokeswoman said in a statement to the BBC. The company has handed over more than 2 million documents in discovery, according to the BBC.
Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify, along with the head of Instagram, Al Jazeera reported. It would be Zuckerberg's second court appearance of 2026; he testified in February in a Los Angeles case brought by a young woman referred to as KGM, which Meta lost in March.
The venue
Judge Gonzalez Rogers, a chief federal judge who presided over the Elon Musk v. Sam Altman trial, will oversee the proceedings. Julia Powles, executive director of the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law and Policy, told CNBC that "California matters more than any other jurisdiction in the US. It's where they are subject to the greatest legal reach, and it's a jurisdiction watched around the world," according to Al Jazeera.
The Oakland trial follows an August ruling by Judge Bryan Biedscheid in New Mexico ordering Meta to change how its platforms function for users under 18 in that state, including eliminating like counts and limiting push notifications. Dollar figures differ across accounts: the BBC reported the fine at $942 million; Al Jazeera reported $567 million. Meta has said it will appeal.
The counterpoint
Meta has consistently denied the states' claims, according to the BBC. The features the states want changed — like counts, infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmic recommendations and ephemeral posts such as Instagram Stories — are central to the current user experience on Meta's platforms, the BBC reported. Sonia Livingstone of the London School of Economics told Al Jazeera: "It seems unlikely Meta would completely transform the business model or completely remake the feed. But they will surely take some steps to reduce the problem."
A separate trial brought by 14 additional states is scheduled to begin in February 2027. Any verdict against Meta in Oakland is expected to be appealed.