California and 28 other states are seeking $1.4 trillion in penalties from Meta. They allege the company lied about addictive design features, data gathering, and the risks of social media to minors’ mental health.
In a statement emailed to KALW, Meta says the claims are "unsubstantiated and their financial demands are vastly disproportionate."
Parents who lost their children to suicide gathered outside the Federal Courthouse in Oakland before the trial started.
Lori Schott was one of them. She was holding a picture of her daughter, Annalee, who died by suicide in 2020.
"We had no idea what we were parenting against," Schott said, while holding up a picture of her daughter. "She left journals about the impact of social media and how it made her feel."
A 2025 Pew Research study found that 48% of teens say that social media has a negative impact on their mental health.
The trial is scheduled to last six weeks.
