‘Hook, harvest, hide’: States slam Meta’s secret strategy on first day of jury trial

A federal jury in Oakland heard opening statements in the first bellwether trial over whether Meta deceived the public about addictive features and teen mental health risks, brought by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey with 25 more states awaiting trial. California's deputy attorney general accused Meta of a 'hook, harvest, hide' strategy, saying internal research contradicted public statements Zuckerberg and Mosseri made to Congress.

Meta's attorney countered that the states lack witnesses testifying to their own harms and that time-management tools have existed since 2018, with teen accounts added in 2024. The state noted teen accounts only arrived after attorneys general sued in 2023.

Former Meta engineering director Arturo Bejar testified that his daughter faced unwanted sexual messages on Instagram with no way to report them, and that internal surveys showed significant percentages of teens witnessing bullying, violence and self-harm content. A verdict against Meta could carry penalties up to $200 billion and force changes to how it handles teen accounts.

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