Meta targeted kids to boost Instagram, Facebook use, lawyer says as landmark trial begins
OAKLAND — Meta Platforms intentionally sought to addict children to its Facebook and Instagram platforms, a lawyer for California said on Tuesday at the start of a trial that could reshape some of the most popular apps on the planet. A bipartisan group of 29 U.S. states is suing Meta, seeking potentially tens or hundreds of billions of dollars in penalties and changes to how Meta does business.…
Oakland — Meta Platforms deliberately endeavored to entice children to its Facebook and Instagram platforms, according to a California lawyer who opened the landmark trial on Tuesday. A coalition of 29 U.S. states is suing Meta for potentially billions of dollars in penalties and demands for business changes. Four leading states — California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey — allege Meta engineered Facebook and Instagram to ensnare young users, exacerbating anxiety, depression, and even suicide, and deceiving consumers about the platforms' safety.
Jurors are set to consider allegations from all 29 states that Meta breached federal law by improperly gathering and utilizing children's personal data while they engaged with its platforms. Deputy Attorney General Megan O'Neill of California told the eight-person jury in Oakland, California, that Meta's business model revolved around "hooking the users, holding them for as long as possible, harvesting their data, and then concealing the truth from the public."
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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