Meta Faces 29 States in Court Tuesday. The Case Could Be Big Tech’s Big Tobacco Moment.
Meta is back in court facing 29 states over allegations it designed addictive products for kids -- and the stakes extend far beyond one company.
Overview
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) will be in an Oakland federal courtroom on Tuesday, defending itself against the 29 states that say it built Facebook and Instagram to addict children and then told parents the platforms were safe.
A bipartisan group of state attorneys general will attempt to convince the court that the social media giant knew its products were harmful. It goes to trial less than two weeks after a judge in New Mexico hit Meta with a nearly $1 billion judgment in a similar case.
Details
The states' argument is that the addiction was designed in. They point to infinite scroll, likes, autoplay, algorithmic recommendations, and weak age controls. They also say Meta violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a federal law that bars companies from collecting personal data on kids under 13 without a parent signing off.
Source
Originally published at www.fool.com.