Meta faces a federal trial in Oakland, California, over allegations that Facebook and Instagram caused harm while the company hid evidence about the effects of its products. Oral arguments began on August 18, and the case could become a major legal confrontation for the social-media company. The trial follows whistle-blower allegations from the early 2020s concerning Meta’s handling of information about potential harms linked to its platforms. A film scheduled for release in early October, “The Social Reckoning”, will dramatise those whistle-blowers’ role and the allegations against the company. The film is a sequel to “The Social Network”, which portrayed Mark Zuckerberg’s founding of Facebook. Investors have not yet shown panic over the trial, according to the source text.

The Fediverse is criticized as not being a viable alternative to existing social media platforms. The author expresses a preference for limited engagement with Big Tech while acknowledging a desire for a more social web-browsing experience.