{
  "id": 1758706,
  "title": "‘Meta needed kids’: Tech giant on trial over social media addiction",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/meta-needed-kids-tech-giant-on-trial-over-social-media-addiction",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T17:20:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Sydney Morning Herald",
    "slug": "the-sydney-morning-herald",
    "url": "https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/meta-needed-kids-tech-giant-on-trial-over-social-media-addiction-20260819-p60pik.html?ref=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A trial is underway in California to determine whether Meta intentionally designed its Facebook and Instagram apps to be addictive to children. The case, brought by a group of attorneys general from 29 US states, alleges that Meta's platforms have harmed the mental health of young users. The states claim that Meta collected and used children's personal data improperly, violating federal law.\n\nAccording to CBS News, opening arguments began on Tuesday in this landmark trial. The plaintiffs are seeking financial damages, with estimates ranging from $200 billion to $1.4 trillion, as well as changes to Meta's platforms, including age restrictions and the elimination of features like \"infinite scroll.\"\n\nMeta has defended its record, stating that the states' claims are \"unsubstantiated\" and that it has strong protections for teens. The company characterized the litigation as a \"chase for an outlandish payout\" rather than a factual or legal challenge.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Meta's federal trial over child social media addiction set to begin",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/metas-federal-trial-over-child-social-media-addiction-set-to-begin",
        "published": "2026-08-18T15:55:23.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Age",
        "title": "‘Meta needed kids’: Tech giant on trial over social media addiction",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/meta-needed-kids-tech-giant-on-trial-over-social-media-addiction-1759144",
        "published": "2026-08-18T17:20:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}