{
  "id": 1825994,
  "title": "Meta hooked children on Facebook and Instagram, court hears",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/meta-hooked-children-on-facebook-and-instagram-court-hears-1825994",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-18T22:11:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Business",
    "slug": "bbc-business",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly5r7vr7q1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A California lawyer argues that Meta deliberately attracted a generation of children to Facebook and Instagram, launching a major legal showdown for the social media giant. A jury in Oakland, California will assess claims from several US states over the next six weeks. A state attorney claims Meta knowingly allowed millions of 11 and 12-year-olds to use Instagram and did nothing to stop them. However, Meta's representatives contend that the number of 11 and 12-year-old users was just over 100,000 and dispute the concept of social media addiction existing. The trial revolves around a lawsuit filed in 2023 by 29 US states, including California and New York. They accuse Meta of violating federal and state privacy laws for children and seek billions in damages, as well as changes to the platforms such as eliminating \"like\" counts and infinite scroll. During the opening arguments, a Meta document revealed that 1 in 5 teens felt worse after using Instagram. The lawyer for Meta, Paul Schmidt, pointed out that 41% of teens said Instagram made them feel better, and another 41% said it had no effect. Schmidt also challenged the claim that Meta intentionally hooked teens and children on Facebook and Instagram, and that the platforms were designed to be addictive. He also argued that Meta recognizes people struggle with their use of social media and has introduced tools to address this. However, the state attorney, Megan O'Neill, relied on internal research and employee emails, which claim that teens have an \"addict's narrative\" about Instagram use and that product features designed to increase time spent are detrimental to well-being. Despite Meta's awareness of potential negative impacts, O'Neill claims the company targeted young users and publicly claimed its platforms were safe for kids, while hiding the truth in its internal research and public statements.",
  "summary": "Meta argued social media addiction does not exist, as a trial stemming from a major lawsuit brought by US states got under way.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Technology",
        "title": "Meta hooked children on Facebook and Instagram, court hears",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/meta-hooked-children-on-facebook-and-instagram-court-hears",
        "published": "2026-08-18T22:11:07.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}