A landmark federal trial in Oakland, California, is underway as 29 U.S. states sue Meta, accusing the tech giant of intentionally designing Facebook and Instagram to addict kids while concealing mental health risks.
- State Allegations: Prosecutors claim Meta targeted adolescent brain responses to maximize time spent online, harvested data from children under 13, and ignored internal warnings comparing Instagram to a "drug."
- Meta's Defence: Meta argues research shows no direct link between social media use and youth mental health issues, emphasizing leadership's ongoing safety efforts.
- Testimony: Former Meta engineer Arturo Bejar testified the company took a "don't ask, don't tell" approach to underage users and shipped features like Reels without prioritizing safety. Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri are expected to testify later.
- Stakes: Penalties could range from $200 billion to $1.4 trillion. States are demanding major feature overhauls, including removing likes, banning infinite scrolling, and enforcing strict age checks.
Source: Reuters
