Stories

Tue, 18 Aug 2026

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 Meta hooked children on Facebook and Instagram, US court hears

Meta argued social media addiction does not exist, as a trial stemming from a major lawsuit brought by US states started.

* A trial has begun in California, where 29 US states, including California and New York, are suing Meta (Facebook's parent company) over allegations that it intentionally hooked a generation of children on Facebook and Instagram.
* The lawsuit claims that Meta knew its platforms hurt teen mental health but did little to stop minors from using them, with one internal research report stating "teens have an addict's narrative about use".
* A lead attorney for California claimed that Meta found "millions" of 11-12 year olds on Instagram and failed to keep them off.
* Meta disputes these claims, saying it has only found around 100,000 underage users on its platforms and arguing that social media addiction does not exist.
* The states are seeking billions of dollars from Meta and demanding changes to Instagram and Facebook, including ending "like" counts and infinite scroll.
* The trial is expected to last six weeks.