{
  "id": 1759144,
  "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",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T17:20:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Age",
    "slug": "the-age",
    "url": "https://www.theage.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 and teenagers. The trial addresses claims by US states that Meta's platforms harmed the mental health of young users.\n\nAccording to the states, Meta's design features, such as \"infinite scroll,\" contributed to the alleged addiction. The states also accuse Meta of improperly collecting and using children's personal data, violating federal law.\n\nMeta has defended its record, stating that the states' claims are \"unsubstantiated\" and that it has strong protections for teens. The company characterizes 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 Sydney Morning Herald",
        "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",
        "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."
}