Jury selection began Wednesday in a California federal court for a trial against Meta Platforms. A coalition of state attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey allege that Mark Zuckerberg's company deliberately engineered Facebook and Instagram to be addictive for children and minors.
The lawsuit seeks financial penalties as high as $1.4 trillion and demands sweeping changes to the company's platforms. Due to the scale and nature of the allegations, the case is being described as social media's "big tobacco moment," comparing the trial to the reckoning faced by the tobacco industry.
In addition to the claims regarding addictive features, the trial addresses allegations that Meta's platforms harmed youth mental health and tracked children in violation of federal law. Meta denies the allegations as it defends itself against the claims that it intentionally kept young users hooked.