Meta faces two simultaneous landmark trials over child safety allegations, with juries hearing opening arguments this week in California and New Mexico. The cases represent the first time social media companies will defend their business models before juries on allegations of deliberately addictive design, similar to EU accusations against TikTok.
In Los Angeles, a 20-year-old woman identified as Kaley G.M. is suing Meta Platforms and Google's YouTube, claiming the companies engineered their apps to hook children. Her attorney Mark Lanier told jurors that internal company documents show "these companies built machines designed to addict the brains of children, and they did it on purpose."
The California trial began Monday with opening statements that framed the case as a test of whether Big Tech platforms can be held liable for their app design. Lanier accused Meta and YouTube of designing platforms to deliberately create addiction in young users' brains, using props including a toy Ferrari and mini slot machine to illustrate his arguments.
Meta's defense attorney Paul Schmidt countered by pointing to Kaley's personal history, citing health records showing verbal and physical abuse and a difficult relationship with her parents. "If you took Instagram away and everything else was the same in Kaley's life, would her life be completely different?" Schmidt asked jurors.
Simultaneously in Santa Fe, New Mexico, state prosecutors began a separate trial accusing Meta of failing to adequately protect children on its platforms. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez alleges Meta violated consumer protection laws by allowing predators to target minors through Facebook and Instagram.
The New Mexico case, which went to trial in February 2026, is the first of its kind brought by a state attorney general to reach a courtroom. Prosecutors plan to call multiple witnesses including former Meta researchers, educators, law enforcement officers and health experts to support claims that the company prioritized engagement and growth over user safety.
Both trials challenge the legal shield provided by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which has traditionally protected internet companies from liability for user-posted content. The cases argue that companies are culpable for business models designed to hold attention and promote harmful content.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify at the California trial, which may extend into March. Instagram boss Adam Mosseri is also scheduled to appear in court as early as Wednesday. The company has mounted an aggressive defense, arguing it has implemented more than 30 tools and features designed to protect young users, despite Zuckerberg previously questioning the value of safety research.
In New Mexico, prosecutors cited internal communications including a 2018 email attributed to Zuckerberg that discussed balancing safety measures against free expression. The state alleges Meta made public assurances about youth safety that conflicted with internal research showing potential harms to teens.
The outcomes could establish legal precedents affecting thousands of similar lawsuits. Thousands of similar cases filed by parents, school districts and state attorneys general are pending in federal court, with a first federal trial potentially arriving as early as June.
Social media companies face a global backlash over children's mental health. Australia and Spain have prohibited access to social media platforms for users under age 16, and other countries are considering similar restrictions.
TikTok and Snap settled with Kaley before the California trial began, removing them as defendants.
The trials represent a significant escalation in legal pressure on technology companies. Both juries will decide their cases within the next seven weeks, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expected to testify in the California trial that began on October 21.
