Meta hooked children and misled public, says prosecutors

A federal court in Oakland, California, is hearing a landmark trial against Meta Platforms for allegedly knowingly exploiting children on its platforms Instagram and Facebook, according to legal proceedings. The case, reminiscent of the tobacco industry's tactics in the 1990s, alleges that Meta used technology specifically designed to hook young users, hold them for long periods, harvest their data, and hide the truth from the public.

The states of California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, along with a coalition of 29 other states, have filed charges against Meta for lying about the dangers of its apps for minors, designing features to addict users, and gathering data on children under 13 without parental consent. Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri are expected to testify in the trial, which is expected to last six weeks and could result in a verdict by October.

The states are demanding penalties of up to US$200 billion and changes to Meta's apps to protect young users, such as limiting screen time. If successful, this case could lead to widespread changes in the platforms and set a precedent for holding tech companies accountable for their practices.