U.S. States Accuse Meta of Hooking Children onto Facebook and Instagram
For the first time, a jury in Oakland confronted Meta with claims that the company knowingly let millions of 11‑ and 12‑year‑olds use its flagship social‑media apps, ignoring the obvious harm to their mental health. The lawsuit, filed by 29 states – including California and New York – alleges that Meta violated federal and state privacy statutes and engineered addictive features aimed at young users.
State attorneys highlighted internal documents, employee emails and even executive‑level notes that suggest Meta was well‑aware that its algorithms were prolonging engagement among teens. For example, one memo described a “teens have an addict’s narrative about use,” while another warned that “product features designed to increase time spent are inherently at odds with well‑being.”
The plaintiffs also quote a survey in which one in five teens said Instagram made them feel worse. Meta’s lawyers insisted its reality was different, stressing that only about 100,000 under‑age users were identified and that it has never focused on profitable addictive designs. One defense point was that privacy laws forbid Meta from keeping precise age data of each child, thereby limiting its own ability to enforce restrictions.
The battle over whether social‑media addiction is a legitimate concern continued. Meta’s counsel invoked statements from CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri that recognized user struggles but denied that the platforms were intentionally addictive, noting that scientific consensus on digital addiction remains tentative.
The Virginia‑style jury will review the claims over the next six weeks, with the case potentially leading to billions of dollar damages and significant design changes – such as removing public like counts and endless scrolling – to protect under‑age users. The trial has already drawn national attention among policymakers, privacy advocates and tech industry observers weighing the balance between innovation and child protection.
