Meta hooked children on Facebook and Instagram, court hears

What the report says

A major trial opened in Oakland, California, where a jury will hear allegations from a group of US states that Meta intentionally drew children and teens into Facebook and Instagram and did not do enough to protect young users. The case, brought by 29 states in a 2023 lawsuit including California and New York, is one of the biggest legal challenges the company has faced and is expected to run for six weeks.

According to the BBC’s reporting, state lawyers say Meta violated federal and state privacy rules affecting children, relied on features that kept young people engaged, and misled the public about safety. The states are seeking billions of dollars in damages and also want changes to the platforms, including ending features such as like counts and infinite scroll. California’s lawyer told the court that Meta knew many 11- and 12-year-olds were using Instagram and did little to stop them.

Meta pushed back strongly at the start of the trial. Its lawyers argued the company cannot easily verify every user’s age because of privacy laws, and they disputed claims that social media addiction exists. Meta also said internal research showing some teens had negative experiences did not capture the full picture, because many others reported neutral or positive effects.

The BBC said the states are relying on internal Meta documents, emails and chat logs to argue that the company’s public safety claims differed from what it knew internally. The case matters because it could affect how major social platforms are designed and regulated for children and teenagers.