The U.S. push to rein in Big Tech is moving beyond traditional antitrust battles, as a major case against Meta Platforms Inc. tests how far governments can go in regulating the design, algorithms and data practices of social-media platforms.
A coalition of states is challenging Meta over its treatment of younger Facebook and Instagram users in a federal trial beginning Wednesday with jury selection in Oakland. According to Reuters, California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are pursuing claims involving Meta’s platform design and representations about safety, while 29 states allege the company improperly collected and used children’s data.
The case isn’t an antitrust lawsuit, but it reflects a broader shift in U.S. technology regulation. Rather than focusing primarily on market dominance and acquisitions, governments are increasingly scrutinizing the mechanics of digital platforms — including recommendation algorithms, engagement features and the collection of user data.
The states are seeking remedies that could directly affect how Meta operates its products. They want U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to impose age restrictions, eliminate features including infinite scrolling, limit younger users’ time on the platforms and require changes to recommendation systems, Reuters reported. They are also seeking deletion of algorithms and artificial-intelligence models developed using children’s data.
Meta disputes the allegations. The company says it has worked with parents, experts and law-enforcement officials and invested in protections for children and teenagers, according to Reuters.
Related: Meta Sued Over Claims AI Tools Discriminated Against Workers With Medical Conditions
The financial stakes could be significant. Meta has estimated potential damages of as much as $1.4 trillion, although the attorneys general haven’t publicly specified how much they intend to seek, Reuters reported.
The case follows years of mounting scrutiny of social-media companies. The states’ investigation gained momentum after former Meta employee Frances Haugen disclosed internal documents and testified before the U.S. Senate in 2021. Haugen said the company knew about potential risks its products posed to younger users and had information about possible safety improvements, according to Reuters. The states sued in 2023.
The litigation is also part of a much larger legal challenge facing the industry. More than 3,000 federal cases involving Meta, Snap Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube and ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok have been consolidated before Gonzalez Rogers, Reuters reported.
The trial could therefore have consequences beyond Meta. A ruling requiring changes to algorithms or engagement features could give governments another route for influencing how major technology platforms are built, adding consumer-protection and children’s privacy laws to the regulatory pressure already coming from antitrust enforcement.
Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri are expected to testify during the roughly seven-week proceeding, according to Reuters. Opening statements are scheduled for Aug. 18, and Gonzalez Rogers is expected to rule after the trial concludes in October.
The outcome could help define the next phase of U.S. technology regulation: not simply determining how powerful technology companies are allowed to become, but how the products they control are allowed to work.
Source: Reuters
