Designed to 'exploit' children: Meta faces a historic courtroom reckoning

A United States federal court is hearing allegations that Meta knowingly exploited children by designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive to young users. A coalition of US states is seeking $200 billion in penalties from the social media giant for using technology specifically intended to foster addiction among children, similar to how tobacco companies targeted minors.

California prosecutor Megan O'Neill characterized Meta's business model as one built to hook users, hold them for as long as possible, harvest their data, and hide the truth from the public. Meta's lawyer, Paul Schmidt, acknowledged that some users were harmed but argued that the company had tried to implement tools to help them and that there was no clear link between social media use and negative well-being among adolescents.

The trial, which could have far-reaching implications, will feature star witnesses including Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri. If successful, the case could lead to sweeping changes on social media platforms, with Meta facing not only financial penalties but also required modifications to its apps to protect young users, such as limits on screen time.