Meta rejected claims that its apps were designed to addict young users, as a trial began Tuesday that could reshape the social media giant’s businesses.
Brought by 29 US states, the lawsuit argues Facebook and Instagram knowingly contributed to negative health outcomes for minors.
The outcome could result in billions of dollars in penalties for Meta and potentially lead to significant changes to the platforms, as countries from Australia to Poland to Vietnam look to curb youth access to social media.
The backlash has spurred safety action on other tech fronts, as well: OpenAI said Tuesday it will restrict teenagers to a version of ChatGPT with greater mental health safeguards, as the company faces suits for allegedly failing to prevent self-harm among users.