“She started getting requests for sex and pictures of private parts from people that she did not know,” Bejar said. “I found it shocking.”
Trial Could Cost Company Up to $1.4 Trillion
The ongoing trial poses significant risks for the company involved. A ruling against them could result in financial penalties ranging from $193 billion to as much as $1.4 trillion. Additionally, court orders might mandate substantial changes in how the company operates its platforms.
He took the stand in the previous two previous trials against Meta in Los Angeles and New Mexico – both of which ended with verdicts against Meta. Bejar also testified in an ongoing trial against Meta in Tennessee, where he was on the witness stand for four days. In the current case in federal court in Oakland, California, Meta fought to bar Bejar from testifying, arguing that he violated evidence rules by using auto-deleting messaging apps to communicate with former Meta employees about the case. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on the eve of trial denied Meta’s last-minute motion and allowed him to take the stand. The trial in Oakland is focused on alleged violations of state consumer protection and federal privacy laws, and is being led by attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey.
“Young people, in particular, were experiencing harm at high rates and they weren’t getting the attention, investigation, support or remediation that they needed,” Bejar testified Tuesday.
