Meta lawsuits: Is social media facing a global legal reckoning? | Social Media News | Al Jazeera

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People are seen behind the logo for Meta Platforms, during a conference in Mumbai, India, September 20, 2023 [Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters]

By Marthe van der Wolf

Published On 18 Aug 202618 Aug 2026

Opening statements begin on Tuesday in a major, multistate jury trial in the United States against Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and which is facing a host of regulatory and legal actions in Europe and beyond.<br>The US trial opening in the state of California, which could reportedly cost Meta $1.4 trillion in damages, alleges that the social media giant designed addictive social media platforms that are harming the mental health of young people and could significantly change the way these platforms operate if successful, experts say.<br>Recommended Stories<br>list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3The Global South’s digital future must not belong to Bezos and Musk<br>list 2 of 3New Mexico court orders Meta to pay $567m over harm to youths<br>list 3 of 3US appeals court says social media addiction lawsuits can proceed<br>end of list<br>US state attorneys general who are bringing the case also say they are concerned about how data on younger users is collected without consent from their guardians.<br>The case highlights several specific features of these platforms which, according to the attorneys general, specifically harm younger children, such as continuous scrolling and algorithm prompts.<br>With regulatory action ongoing in Europe and beyond, we look at the impact these cases could have on the workings of social media giants.<br>Who is suing Meta in the US and for what?<br>Twenty-nine US states have grouped to accuse Meta of designing its platforms in ways that “encourage addictive behaviour, fail to verify users’ ages, encourage adolescents to bypass parental controls, and inadequately safeguard against harmful content and/or intentionally amplify harmful and exploitive content”, according to the filings at the Court of Appeal in California, US.<br>Meta strongly denies the allegations.<br>Advertisement

The first four of the states which filed a federal lawsuit against Meta in 2023 – California, Kentucky, Colorado and New Jersey – will begin outlining their cases on Tuesday.<br>Besides damages, the attorneys general bringing the case are also asking the court to order that changes be made to Meta’s platforms to protect young social media users.<br>Among other measures, they are demanding that Meta implement a process of parental verification for teenage users; change its “dopamine-manipulating” algorithms; remove image filters for users’ personal images; forbid the creation of multiple accounts; and end “disappearing” messages and posts.<br>Jury selection was completed last week. The trial is expected to run for about seven weeks, but extra time may be needed if there are unforeseen developments.<br>A verdict is unlikely to be the final word in the case, as Meta is expected to appeal any decision not in its favour.<br>Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify in court, together with the head of Instagram. This will be the second time this year that the Facebook founder has testified, after his February 2026 appearance in a Los Angeles court over similar allegations against Meta. Meta lost that multimillion-dollar case, brought by a young woman referred to as KGM, over platform features linked to addiction in younger users, in March.<br>How important is this lawsuit and what outcome is expected?<br>Sonia Livingstone, a professor at the London School of Economics and director of the Digital Futures for Children Centre, told Al Jazeera the case is highly significant.<br>“It seems unlikely Meta would completely transform the business model or completely remake the feed. But they will surely take some steps to reduce the problem,” she said.<br>Instead, Livingstone added, the tech company may choose to focus more on moderation and tweaking the platform for those aged below 18.<br>Nonprofit organisation 5Rights Foundation, which focuses on digital safety, said the case against Meta is an essential first step towards making tech safe for children. “Lawsuits like this can change the practices of tech companies, but only if they are backed by clear rules that are consistently and meaningfully enforced, with penalties large enough to impact their bottom line,” it told Al Jazeera.<br>This is just the latest in a string of lawsuits being faced by Meta in the US.<br>Earlier this month, a judge in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $567m and change how its platforms function for young users in the state after ruling that the company was to blame for harming children’s mental health.<br>Advertisement

The California case could go further, legal experts say. Julia...