{
  "id": 1776033,
  "title": "Meta faces landmark California trial: ‘Kids are the product’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/meta-faces-landmark-california-trial-kids-are-the-product",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-18T18:28:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12025798/meta-trial-california-social-media/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Opening statements commenced on Tuesday in a crucial trial at a federal court in California, where state attorneys general are seeking billions of dollars in damages for alleged social media damages to children. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are among the states pursuing a financial penalty potentially reaching up to $1.4 trillion, alongside changes to Meta Platforms' operations on Facebook and Instagram. Out of the 29 states that sued the tech giant in 2023, the remaining 25 will proceed to trial later. The lawsuit accuses Meta of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by intentionally designing addictive features and collecting data on children under 13 without parental consent, in violation of federal law. During opening statements in Oakland, California, Deputy Attorney General Megan O'Neill emphasized that Meta understood the vulnerabilities of children's brains, such as their constant pursuit of rewards, sensitivity to social feedback, and still-developing impulse control. She stated that Meta intentionally studied these weaknesses and considered altering Instagram to exploit them. O'Neill reminded jurors that Meta refers to children as \"the best ones\" and the company's product. Meta has maintained that it possesses a robust defense, having consistently prioritized teen protection on its platforms and invested in safeguards prior to and following the lawsuits. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers presides over the six-week trial, which will feature testimonies from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other executives and former employees. The court, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2011, has handled numerous high-profile cases involving major tech companies, including Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI and Epic Games' suit against Apple. If Meta loses the trial, the judge will have the discretion to determine the penalty's magnitude, and experts suggest that anything near $1.4 trillion is improbable. O'Neill stressed that the trial isn't about individual people or kids, but a legal action to hold Meta accountable for alleged harm to young people. This trial adds to a growing number of lawsuits against Meta and other social media platforms, such as YouTube, TikTok, and Snap, over claims that their platforms endanger children, illegally collect their data, and are deliberately engineered to addict them.",
  "summary": "Opening statements started Tuesday in a pivotal trial for Meta Platforms as states seek billions of dollars in damages for social media harms to children.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Landmark trial on Meta’s impact on children’s mental health begins in US",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/landmark-trial-on-metas-impact-on-childrens-mental-health-begins-in-us",
        "published": "2026-08-18T18:33:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}