(The Center Square) – A consumer protection trial against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, started Tuesday in Oakland.
A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general including California’s Rob Bonta made opening statements that Meta designed addictive, harmful features on Instagram and Facebook that drive excessive youth use, leading to severe mental and physical harm.
kAm%96 EC:2= :D 36:?8 96=5 2E &]$] s:DEC:4E r@FCE 7@C E96 }@CE96C? s:DEC:4E @7 r2=:7@C?:2] yF586 *G@??6 v@?K2=6K #@86CD[ 2? ~32>2 2AA@:?E66[ :D AC6D:5:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 =2HDF:E 7C@> q@?E2 6E 2=[ H9:49 :?G@=G6D bb DE2E6D DF:?8 |6E2[ 4=2:>D E96 D@4:2= >65:2 4@>A2?J F?=2H7F==J 4@==64E65 52E2 7C@> 49:=5C6? F?56C `b 2?5 >:D=65 E96 AF3=:4 23@FE A=2E7@C> D276EJ] %96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@28]42]8@G^DJDE6>^7:=6D^2EE249>6?ED^AC6DD\5@4D^ux}p{Ta_|6E2Ta_|F=E:DE2E6Ta_r@>A=2:?ETarTa_}]s]Ta_r2=]Ta_Tag#tspr%tsTarTa_r~}u~#|tsTah]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mDF:Ek^DEC@?8mk^2m H2D 7:=65 :? a_ab]k^Am
kAm“%96J <?6H E96:C AC@5F4E H2D 52?86C@FD[ 2?5 E96J =:65 E@ E96 AF3=:4[” q@?E2 D2:5 %F6D52J 2E 2 AC6DD 4@?76C6?46 7@==@H:?8 4@FCE AC@4665:?8D] “%96J =:65 E@ r@?8C6DD]”k^Am
kAmq@?E2 2=D@ 4C:E:4:K65 |2C< +F4<6C36C8[ 7@F?56C[ 492:C>2? 2?5 rt~ @7 |6E2 !=2E7@C>D]k^Am
kAm“|C] +F4<6C36C8 9:>D6=7 49@D6 AC@7:ED @G6C E96 D276EJ @7 49:=5C6?[” D2:5 q@?E2] k^Am
kAm|6E2 – H9:49 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6’D C6BF6DE 7@C 4@>>6?E – 92D EC:65 E@ 92G6 E96 =2HDF:E 5:D>:DD65]k^Am
kAmpEE@C?6JD 86?6C2= !9:= (6:D6C @7 r@=@C25@ W2 s6>@4C2EX[ y6??:76C s2G6?A@CE @7 }6H y6CD6J W2 s6>@4C2EX 2?5 #FDD6== r@=6>2? @7 z6?EF4<J W2 #6AF3=:42?X 2C6 2=D@ A2CE @7 E96 4@2=:E:@? DF:?8 |6E2] %96J 2?5 q@?E2 2C6 2>@?8 E96 2EE@C?6JD 86?6C2= AC6D6?E 2E E96 EC:2=]k^Am
kAmpE E96 AC6DD 4@?76C6?46 H:E9 q@?E2[ (6:D6C D2:5 E96 C62D@? |6E2 “5646:G65” E96 AF3=:4 :D 3642FD6 E@ 4@>6 4=62? 2?5 E@ E2<6 DE6AD E@ =:>:E <:5D’ 2446DD E@ D@4:2= >65:2 H@F=5 9FCE E96:C 3@EE@> =:?6] (6:D6C 2=D@ E@=5 E96 DE@CJ @7 p?2 $49@EE[ 2 J@F?8 8:C= 7C@> r@=@C25@ H9@ (6:D6C D2:5 56G6=@A65 2 D@4:2= >65:2 255:4E:@? @? x?DE28C2> 2?5 F=E:>2E6=J 5:65 3J DF:4:56]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 2C6 ?@H 2 86?6C2E:@? @7 <:5D H9@ 92G6 =@DE D=66A 3642FD6 @7 ?@E:7:42E:@?D 2?5 2=6CED 2== 9@FCD @7 E96 ?:89E[ H9@ A6C7@C>65 =6DD H6== :? D49@@= 3642FD6 E96J H6C6 5:DEC24E65 2?5 E:C65[ 2?5 6G6? <:5D =:<6 p?2[ H9@ 5:65 3J DF:4:56[” D2:5 (6:D6C]k^Am
kAmpEE@C?6J v6?6C2= s2G6?A@CE D2:5 E92E[ 2D E96 >@E96C @7 EH@ 52F89E6CD[ `a 2?5 `c[ D96 76=E D:4< H96? D96 C625 E96 “67764ED” @7 |6E2’D x?DE28C2> 762EFC6D @? DE:==\56G6=@A:?8 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAm“x’> 5:D8FDE65[ x’> 2?8CJ[ H6 2== D9@F=5 36 2?8CJ[” D2:5 s2G6?A@CE]k^Am
kAmpEE@C?6J v6?6C2= r@=6>2? – H9@ H2D ?@E AC6D6?E 2E %F6D52J’D AC6DD 4@?76C6?46 – D2:5 :? 2 ;@:?E kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@28]42]8@G^?6HD^AC6DD\C6=62D6D^29625\@A6?:?8\DE2E6>6?ED\2EE@C?6J\86?6C2=\3@?E2\=2JD\@FE\42D6\282:?DE\>6E2\@G6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 52E2\D276C65:C64EFC=lQ9EEADi^^HHH]8@@8=6]4@>^FC=nBl9EEADi^^@28]42]8@G^?6HD^AC6DD\C6=62D6D^29625\@A6?:?8\DE2E6>6?ED\2EE@C?6J\86?6C2=\3@?E2\=2JD\@FE\42D6\282:?DE\>6E2\@G6CU2>AjD@FC46l8>2:=U2>AjFDEl`fgf`feeahbge___U2>AjFD8lp~G'2Haq>H`w04Bv7ad\Cc:D)vqIQmAC6DD C6=62D6k^2mk^DEC@?8m 62C=:6C E9:D H66< E92E 2EE@C?6JD 86?6C2= H:== “D9@H 2 ;FCJ E92E |6E2 4@?462=65 H92E :E <?6H 23@FE E96 92C>D” :ED AC@5F4ED H@F=5 42FD6]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ r@=6>2?[ 2EE@C?6JD 86?6C2= 2C6 :? E96 A6C764E A@D:E:@? E@ 86E D@>6E9:?8 5@?6 23@FE E9:D D:EF2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“(6 5:5 :E H:E9 E96 %@3244@ $6EE=6>6?E :? E96 `hh_D[” D2:5 r@=6>2?] “(6 5:5 :E H:E9 E96 4@>A2?:6D 369:?5 E96 @A:@:5 4C:D:D]”k^Am
kAmu656C2= 2?5 DE2E6 =2HD |6E2 :D 244FD65 @7 G:@=2E:?8 :?4=F56 E96 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]7E4]8@G^=682=\=:3C2CJ^3C@HD6^CF=6D^49:=5C6?D\@?=:?6\AC:G24J\AC@E64E:@?\CF=6\4@AA2Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 52E2\D276C65:C64EFC=lQ9EEADi^^HHH]8@@8=6]4@>^FC=nBl9EEADi^^HHH]7E4]8@G^=682=\=:3C2CJ^3C@HD6^CF=6D^49:=5C6?D\@?=:?6\AC:G24J\AC@E64E:@?\CF=6\4@AA2U2>AjD@FC46l8>2:=U2>AjFDEl`fgf`feeahbge___U2>AjFD8lp~G'2Hb_wd;2a(#=Bxa%>(zH0G$<Qmr9:=5C6?’D ~?=:?6 !C:G24J !C@E64E:@? p4Ek^2mk^DEC@?8m[ r2=:7@C?:2’D kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^=68:?7@]=68:D=2EFC6]42]8@G^7246D^4@56D05:DA=2J$64E:@?]I9E>=nD64E:@?}F>l`fd__]U2>Aj=2Hr@56lq!rQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 52E2\D276C65:C64EFC=lQ9EEADi^^HHH]8@@8=6]4@>^FC=nBl9EEADi^^=68:?7@]=68:D=2EFC6]42]8@G^7246D^4@56D05:DA=2J$64E:@?]I9E>=nD64E:@?}F>Tbs`fd__]Tae=2Hr@56Tbsq!rU2>AjD@FC46l8>2:=U2>AjFDEl`fgf`feeahbge___U2>AjFD8lp~G'2Ha>9EapA;aC3)4ebGA%w`65Qmu2=D6 p5G6CE:D:?8 {2Hk^2mk^DEC@?8m[ 2?5 r2=:7@C?:2’D kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^=68:?7@]=68:D=2EFC6]42]8@G^7246D^4@56D05:DA=2J%6IE]I9E>=n5:G:D:@?lf]U2>Aj492AE6Cld]U2>AjA2CEla]U2>Aj=2Hr@56lq!rQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 52E2\D276C65:C64EFC=lQ9EEADi^^HHH]8@@8=6]4@>^FC=nBl9EEADi^^=68:?7@]=68:D=2EFC6]42]8@G^7246D^4@56D05:DA=2J%6IE]I9E>=n5:G:D:@?Tbsf]Tae492AE6CTbsd]TaeA2CETbsa]Tae=2Hr@56Tbsq!rU2>AjD@FC46l8>2:=U2>AjFDEl`fgf`feeahbge___U2>AjFD8lp~G'2Hb'=;8y@ve#trh'EG?\#?*+Qm&?72:C r@>A6E:E:@? {2Hk^2m]k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm!6?2=E:6D 4@F=5 E@A S` EC:==:@?[ 2=E9@F89 E96 2EE@C?6JD 86?6C2= 92G6 D2:5 E9:D :D >2:?=J 23@FE 7@C4:?8 |6E2 E@ 492?86 :ED H2JD]k^Am
kAmq6D:56D r2=:7@C?:2[ r@=@C25@[ }6H y6CD6J 2?5 z6?EF4<J[ E96 DF:E H2D 7:=65 3J pC:K@?2[ r@??64E:4FE[ s6=2H2C6[ v6@C8:2[ w2H2::[ x529@[ x==:?@:D[ x?5:2?2[ z2?D2D[ z6?EF4<J[ {@F:D:2?2[ |2:?6[ |2CJ=2?5[ |:49:82?[ |:??6D@E2[ |:DD@FC:[ }63C2D<2[ }6H y6CD6J[ }6H *@C<[ }@CE9 r2C@=:?2[ }@CE9 s2<@E2[ ~9:@[ ~C68@?[ !6??DJ=G2?:2[ #9@56 xD=2?5[ $@FE9 r2C@=:?2[ $@FE9 s2<@E2[ ':C8:?:2[ (2D9:?8E@? DE2E6[ (6DE ':C8:?:2 2?5 (:D4@?D:?]k^Am
