Meta hooked children on Facebook and Instagram, court hears
A major trial has begun in California where US states are suing Meta, alleging the company intentionally designed its platforms to addict children. Meta denies these claims, arguing that social media addiction is not a recognized condition and that many teens report positive experiences on the apps.
Why it matters
This case could set a significant legal precedent for how social media companies are held liable for the mental health impacts of their products on minors.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Lawyers for Meta have been defending the company this year against several major lawsuits.
A court has heard claims Meta intentionally hooked a generation of children on Facebook and Instagram, as the biggest legal challenge the social media platform has faced began on Tuesday.
A jury in Oakland, California will spend the next six weeks wading through claims by top attorneys from several US states, and lawyers for the social media company, that at turns rebutted the other as the trial opened.
A lawyer for California claimed Meta found "millions" of 11 and 12-year-olds were on Instagram and "it did little to keep them off".
Meta's representative said just over 100,000 such users were found, and also argued that social media addiction does not exist.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in