Hook, Hold, Harvest and Hide: Meta’s Alleged Strategy Laid Out in First Week of Landmark Trial
In trial that opened on Tuesday, California and 28 other states accused the company of designing addictive sites and violating laws protecting children’s privacy
TL;DR
- Meta's business model is described as 'hook, hold, harvest, hide' by a prosecutor, allegedly targeting children effectively.
- California, joined by 28 other states, is suing Meta for allegedly designing addictive products that harm children and violating child privacy laws.
- The trial could result in up to $200 billion in damages and force fundamental changes to Meta's product design and business model.
- Meta denies the allegations, with a spokesperson calling the states' pursuit an 'outlandish payout' and a company attorney stating Meta has tools to address social media struggles.
- Former Meta safety engineer Arturo Béjar testified about the company's 'don't ask, don't tell' strategy for child safety and presented data showing a high percentage of teens experiencing harmful content on Instagram with low content removal rates.
- Béjar's testimony indicated he sent data on harmful teen experiences to CEO Mark Zuckerberg without receiving a response.
- Meta unsuccessfully fought to bar Béjar's testimony, and the company has since criticized his credibility.
- The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks, with the jury's role being advisory to the judge.
- Meta has faced previous lawsuits, losing two cases that resulted in significant financial penalties and liability findings for designing addictive products.