This week, a trial commenced in the United States that could drastically change how Facebook and Instagram operate globally.

The trial in Oakland, which is expected to last six weeks, pits 29 US states against the two social media platforms’ owner, Meta...

Their 233-page claim, filed in 2023, makes four key allegations, which paint a damning picture that Meta deliberately designed and monetised Instagram and Facebook to exploit the psychological vulnerabilities of children and teenagers. One of the states’ key witnesses is a former Meta safety engineer and whistleblower, Arturo Béjar.

Meta strongly rejects the allegations at the centre of the case. During his opening remarks, Paul Schmidt, a lead attorney for the company, said:

"There can be no dispute that Meta has both recognised that people can struggle with their use of social media and tried to come up with tools to help them".

If Meta loses the case – as happened in similar recent cases in California and New Mexico – the company could face fines that run into the hundreds of billions of dollars. It may also be forced to redesign Facebook and Instagram – and not just for US users.