Meta hooked children on Facebook and Instagram, court hears

A court in Oakland, California has commenced hearing claims that Meta intentionally lured a generation of children to Facebook and Instagram, marking the largest legal challenge against the social media giant. During the trial's opening on Tuesday, a jury is set to spend six weeks examining allegations by attorneys from multiple US states and Meta's own representatives.

California's legal team contends that Meta allowed millions of 11 and 12-year-olds to access Instagram without adequate safeguards, while Meta argues that such concerns are unfounded. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by 29 US states, accuses Meta of violating federal and state privacy laws concerning children. The states are demanding billions in damages and requesting changes to Instagram and Facebook, such as discontinuing likes counts and infinite scroll.

In her opening remarks, California's lead attorney emphasized internal documents revealing Meta's awareness of the addictive nature of their platforms, stating, "Meta went out of its way to assure the public that its platforms were safe for kids." However, Meta's defense team emphasized the positive experiences of users, with 41% of teens reporting that Instagram made them feel better, while 41% reported no effect.

Meta's lawyers also challenged the notion of social media addiction, citing a lack of research and emphasizing that their platforms were not designed to be addictive.