Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued the following statement ahead of the start of opening arguments in a landmark trial brought by a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general against Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The post Attorney General Davenport Presses Case Against Meta as Historic Trial Begins appeared first on New Jersey Office of Attorney General.
What happened
– Jennifer Davenport, Attorney General
District Court for the Northern District of California.
Key details
At a time when young people are facing a serious mental health crisis, that is unacceptable.
“AGs are in the perfect position to get this done.
We did it with the Tobacco Settlement in the 1990s.
We did it with the companies behind the opioid crisis.
We’ll do it again with Meta.”
Excessive time spent online is associated with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, susceptibility to addiction, and interference with daily life — including learning.
Additional time that young people spend online is associated with an increased severity in symptoms of depression.
Increasing evidence shows that these companies are and have been aware of the adverse mental health consequences imposed on underage users.
Attorney General Davenport and the coalition have secured decision after decision denying Meta’s attempts to escape accountability.
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed Meta’s appeal challenging this lawsuit based on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and denied Meta’s motion to pause the trial.
Background and context
“New Jersey has co-led the nationwide investigation of Meta since 2021, spending thousands of hours investigating Meta’s unlawful conduct.
The lawsuit, filed in 2023, alleges that Meta, among other things, designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and Facebook that drive excessive use by children and teens to their mental and physical detriment, distracting them during the school day and disrupting their ability to sleep at night, all the while misleading users, their families, and the public about the existence and severity of these risks.
“This week, we’re in court with the largest consumer protection lawsuit in American history.
In 2024, the States successfully blocked an attempt by Meta to dismiss the coalition’s lawsuit.
And just last week, the U.S.
What officials said
As we look forward to proving at trial, Meta has endangered the mental health of an entire generation of kids, with addictive features it knew would have these horrific effects,” said Attorney General Davenport.
I cannot stress strongly enough how proud I am of the attorneys on our team and from around the country who are working round-the-clock to hold Meta accountable.
Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to keep kids on the platforms longer and longer — to the point of physical and mental harm.
Exploiting our most vulnerable residents to boost corporate profits is not only morally wrong, it’s also illegal,” said Attorney General Bonta.
Alongside my colleagues from Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, and with support from states across the country, we head into trial ready to hold Meta accountable.
As the home of great innovators and Silicon Valley, California has a particular opportunity and obligation to be a catalyst for change.
Nearly three years ago, we took action because we believed Meta was putting profits ahead of the health and safety of our kids.
Now we are ready to present the evidence and make our case,” said Attorney General Weiser.
Meta knew its platforms could harm young people, yet continued practices designed to keep them hooked—sacrificing sleep, being distracted in school, and even considering suicide–because more time online meant more money for Meta.
Powerful technology companies must follow the law, and when they don’t, we will hold them accountable.
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,” said Attorney General Coleman.
Why it matters to residents
The lawsuit alleges Meta illegally collected and used the data of children under the age of 13 who used its platforms, made decisions in designing its platforms that drove excessive use and put young users at risk, and lied to users, their families, and the public about the safety of its platforms.
In doing so, the States allege, the corporation violated federal and state laws, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the New Jersey Consumer Protection Act.
What happens next
TRENTON – Attorney General Jennifer Davenport today issued the following statement ahead of the start of opening arguments in a landmark trial brought by a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general against Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta) in the U.S.
Opening statements start tomorrow, August 18, in Oakland, California.
In bringing this case to trial, Attorney General Davenport will be joined by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman.
In June, a court fully denied Meta’s attempt to obtain summary judgment, which would have terminated this lawsuit.
Source and attribution: Jersey Alerts reviewed the primary official release from NJ Attorney General and any additional sources identified above. Names, dates, figures, quotations, claims and characterizations remain attributed to their cited source unless Jersey Alerts states that they were independently confirmed.
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