Prosecutors said that Meta intentionally fostered addiction in children
A lawsuit against Meta has begun in federal court in Oakland, in which a coalition of U.S. states accuses the company of intentionally creating addiction to Instagram and Facebook among minors. In her opening statement, California Attorney General Megan O’Neill claimed that Meta allegedly exploited the way children’s brains work to attract young users, keep them online, collect data, and conceal information about the risks from the public.
According to Channel NewsAsia, citing AFP, the coalition of states is seeking $200 billion in fines from Meta. The plaintiffs are also seeking changes to the company’s apps to protect young users, including limits on the time spent on the platforms.
California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey represent the interests of the coalition of 29 states, which first filed the lawsuit in 2023. Among the allegations are Meta’s allegedly false statements about the dangers of its apps for minors, the development of features designed to keep children on the platform—including screen-time limits that are easy to circumvent—and the collection of data from children under 13 without parental consent. The plaintiffs argue that this violates U.S. federal law.
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Meta’s attorney, Paul Schmidt, acknowledged that social media platforms could have harmed some users but stated that the company had tried to create tools to help them. Before the trial began, Meta denied all allegations and stated that it had worked with parents, experts, and law enforcement to implement safeguards for children.
Among the witnesses expected to testify in court are Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri. A protest took place outside the courthouse, organized by activists, including mothers of children who, they say, committed suicide as a result of using social media. The trial is expected to last six weeks, with a verdict to be announced in October.
