{
  "id": 1415830,
  "title": "If Meta loses this trial, Instagram and Facebook could change forever",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/if-meta-loses-this-trial-instagram-and-facebook-could-change-forever",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-17T03:26:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Joy Business",
    "slug": "joy-business",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/if-meta-loses-this-trial-instagram-and-facebook-could-change-forever/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A monumental legal battle is set to begin in a New York courtroom, with the fate of social media giants Meta, Instagram, and Facebook hanging in the balance. Thirty US states, including California and New York, have filed a lawsuit alleging numerous violations of federal and state privacy laws for children. They are seeking upwards of $1 trillion from Meta and demanding fundamental changes to their platforms, including ending \"like\" counts and infinite scroll. The lawsuit claims Meta has exploited young users to hook them on its platforms and grow its user base. If Meta loses this case, it could force significant changes in how young people experience social media, potentially altering the very features that define these platforms.",
  "summary": "Meta has been hit with successive losses in court over how its platforms have targeted and harmed young users, but a jury trial set to begin on Tuesday may pose the biggest threat yet to its operations.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Business Insider",
        "title": "Instagram vowed to crack down on Meta glasses creeps. A month later, it was easy to find dozens of the videos still up.",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/instagram-vowed-to-crack-down-on-meta-glasses-creeps-a-month-later-it",
        "published": "2026-08-16T09:30:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Technology",
        "title": "If Meta loses this trial, Instagram and Facebook could change forever",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/if-meta-loses-this-trial-instagram-and-facebook-could-change-forever",
        "published": "2026-08-16T23:27:36.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "If Meta loses this trial, Instagram and Facebook could change forever",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/if-meta-loses-this-trial-instagram-and-facebook-could-change-forever-1420999",
        "published": "2026-08-17T03:26:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Capital FM Kenya",
        "title": "If Meta loses this trial, Instagram and Facebook could change forever",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/if-meta-loses-this-trial-instagram-and-facebook-could-change-forever-1429212",
        "published": "2026-08-17T05:43:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}