Judge Allows Key Witness and Evidence in Meta Child-Safety Trial
Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected Meta's motions, permitting whistleblower Arturo Béjar to testify and allowing crucial documents to be shown at opening statements in the federal case over the company's child-safety practices.
California Northern District Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued a ruling that overturns Meta's attempts to silence a pivotal witness and limit evidence in the federal child-safety lawsuit. The judge rejected the company's motion to exclude whistleblower Arturo Béjar, describing the request as a desperate “Hail Mary” tactic, and ordered that the coalition of state attorneys general may present key documents at the opening of the trial.
The plaintiffs, a multistate group of attorneys general, have been fighting Meta over claims that its products are engineered to addict children and that the firm misrepresented safety measures. Meta had argued that the evidence faced numerous admissibility challenges, including hearsay and Section 230 issues. The ruling comes after state courts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Los Angeles awarded substantial damages against Meta, and after a New Mexico judge affirmed a multi-hundred-million-dollar judgment requiring product changes for young users. Legal experts say the federal case could become a blueprint for broader regulation of social-media platforms.
Why it matters
The decision lets a major child-safety case proceed with key testimony and evidence, potentially shaping future regulation of social-media firms.
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