Meta goes on trial today in a case that could shape the future of how we interact with tech.

When Facebook and Instagram first became ubiquitous, it seemed nothing less than miraculous. Many of us were excited, reconnected. Bradley Zeve here to say that I was.

That was nearly two decades ago. But today, according to a report by Dr. John La Puma, 93 percent of Americans’ time is spent indoors, and one big driver is our fix on technology. Nearly seven hours a day are spent online and of that, more than two-and-a-half hours goes to social media alone. Meanwhile it’s been reported that teens spend nearly five hours a day on social media—almost a full-time job.

For me, it’s insidious. The tech companies that created this intriguing medium have not shown much concern about the overall impact. They have hired the best psychologists and behavioral scientists to help craft algorithms designed to compulsively keep you attached to your screen—in essence, to addict you.

I was a big fan of Meta. I reconnected with many long-lost friends on Facebook. And some days I was just in awe of how easily I’d spent—er, wasted—an hour or more diving into these intriguing silos. I still peek at Instagram. WhatsApp (another Meta-owned product) is one of my commonly used apps.

What I didn’t know—and what a lawsuit that goes on trial starting today lays bare—is that the company’s indifference reached even further. Meta knew millions of children under 13 were on its platforms; one internal report estimated 4 million underage Instagram users, nearly a third of all American 10- to 12-year-olds. Rather than remove them or obtain their parents’ consent, as federal law requires, Meta kept vacuuming up their personal data and employees reportedly avoided researching this because the findings would prove kids were on the platform. When Meta’s own researchers found the product harming teen girls’ body image, and when its own designers proposed banning plastic-surgery filters, leadership said no. Profits came first.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has a net worth of roughly $200 billion today.

That’s a horrific combination—knowingly harming someone while simultaneously becoming a billionaire. Today, in a federal courtroom in Oakland, California and 29 other states are pushing back.

The case People of the State of California v. Meta Platforms was filed in 2023. The complaint leans heavily on Meta’s own internal records. In 2017, Zuckerberg reportedly named “teen time spent” the company’s top goal for the year. By 2018, an internal survey of 20,000 Facebook users found 58 percent showed signs of what the company called “problematic use.” One internal presentation described how intermittent notifications deliver teens a “dopamine hit” tied to feelings of “approval and acceptance.”

The potential damages are staggering. Meta itself has floated a $1.4 trillion worst-case exposure, though the states’ own lawyers say they’re actually seeking closer to $200 billion, plus court-ordered changes to how Facebook and Instagram operate.

It’s time for some important internal changes to the way Meta operates and that’s why this case is worth watching closely. Our kids deserve better. We all do.

-Bradley Zeve, founder and CEO, bradley@montereycountynow.com