Meta Platforms faces pivotal federal trial as 29 states allege the company designed addictive products that harm young people

Meta Platforms is scheduled to begin a federal trial in Oakland, California, this Tuesday, facing allegations from a coalition of 29 states that it intentionally designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive for children and teens. The lawsuit, which began in 2023, claims that Meta knowingly developed psychologically manipulative features—such as infinite scrolling and notification alerts—to maximize user time and profit, while allegedly failing to protect the mental health of young users. Furthermore, the states allege that Meta routinely collects personal data on children under the age of 13 without parental consent, violating federal privacy laws. Meta denies the allegations, describing the states' financial demands as

Sources

• The Guardian
  US states take on Meta in pivotal trial over child social media addiction claims
• The New York Times
  States Seek $200 Billion From Meta Over Child Social Media Addiction Claims
• KSL News
  Meta faces 29-state trial that could reshape Instagram and Facebook
• CNN
  Meta heads back to the courtroom to face its biggest social media addiction trial yet
• AP News
  Opening arguments set to begin in Meta’s federal trial over child safety