Trial begins in North Carolina-backed case against Meta
Opening arguments began Aug. 18 in a multistate case against Meta backed by North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson and 28 other attorneys general.
The lawsuit alleges that Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, designed its platforms to be addictive to children and deceived the public about harms associated with those platforms. The attorneys general are asking the court to require Meta to stop unlawful practices, comply with laws protecting children and consumers, pay penalties and give up profits the states allege were obtained through unlawful conduct.
North Carolina and other states sued Meta in 2023. According to the North Carolina Department of Justice, Meta has repeatedly tried and failed to have key claims dismissed. The department said a court in 2024 allowed claims involving addictive design and alleged deception about known risks to move forward. Earlier this summer, the court rejected Meta’s attempt to obtain favorable rulings on all claims before trial.
Jackson is pursuing the case with attorneys general from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The case is a statewide legal and consumer-protection matter because North Carolina is using its attorney general’s authority in a multistate lawsuit against one of the country’s largest technology companies. The allegations involve child safety, consumer protection and the regulation of social media business practices.
The Department of Justice announcement did not include a trial schedule or expected date for a ruling. Meta has denied wrongdoing in related litigation, and the claims remain allegations unless proven in court.
Editor’s note:
This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
