Not hundreds of millions, but billions are usually using Facebook and Instagram if not daily, at least weekly. And these two little apps could trigger a fine that's not in the billions but in trillions of dollars.
It's about time we talked about phone and app addiction.
Accusations and rejecting accusations
It doesn't matter whether you're on iOS on Android. | Image by PhoneArena
Meta (the Facebook and Instagram parent company) is being sued once again, this time—by a bipartisan group of no less than 29 US states. The accusations? Why, Meta deliberately addicted kids and young people to the two aforementioned platforms. That's what plaintiffs are saying.
States including California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey want to put the blame on Meta. According to them, Zuckerberg's company has hooked young users and this has led to anxiety, depression and even suicide. All states agree that Meta should be held responsible for mishandling, gathering and misusing young users' personal data.
Do you allow apps on your phone to collect your private data?
The hook
Per Megan O'Neill, who is a deputy attorney general for California, Meta's business plan is to "hook the users, hold them for as long as they can, harvest their data, and then hide the truth from the public".
To counter these arguments, Meta's lawyer Paul Schmidt stepped in to clarify that while it's undisputed that some users have to battle struggles, research on the link between social media use and these feelings isn't too clear.
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US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will have the final say on whether Meta is liable.
If she rules against the company, she could impose civil penalties and require changes to Facebook and Instagram. Meta has warned that the penalties could reach as much as $1.4 trillion, while attorneys general estimate the figure could be closer to $200 billion.
The major changes to Facebook and Instagram that are discussed include removing likes and infinite scrolling, adding time limits for younger users and doing more to prevent children under 13 from using the platforms.
Witnesses and timeline
After opening arguments, former Meta safety engineer Arturo Bejar took the stand as the states' first witness. Bejar has repeatedly argued that Meta knew its child safety tools were not effective, and he has testified against the company in four previous trials.
Meta tried to stop him from testifying, pointing to his deletion of Signal messages with former employees. However, Judge Rogers rejected the request and allowed Bejar to remain a key witness.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri are also expected to testify. The trial is expected to last about six weeks and we'll keep you posted.
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Sebastian is one of PhoneArena’s senior opinionators. A veteran news writer with almost 20 years of experience in media and technology, he not only covers all the hot news about Galaxies and iPhones, but often provides hot takes on industry trends. He’s fascinated with camera-focused flagships from the likes of Oppo and Vivo, as well as foldable phones.
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