States take Meta to trial in California in the biggest fight yet over social media harms to children
State attorneys general say Meta used addictive features and collected data from children under 13, while seeking damages and platform changes.
- On Tuesday, a landmark federal trial began in Oakland, California, as 29 states argue Meta knowingly designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children, fueling anxiety, depression, and suicide.
- The lawsuit began in 2023, two years after whistleblower Frances Haugen testified to a Senate committee that Meta knew its products were unsafe for children but prioritized profits.
- California Deputy Attorney General Megan O'Neill told jurors Meta's business model aims to "hook the users, hold them for as long as they can, harvest their data, and then hide the truth from the public."
- While Meta denies the allegations, attorneys general noted penalties could reach $200 billion, though U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will determine liability and potential platform changes.
- Jennifer Tuskal of the Michigan Parent Alliance for Safe Schools said the trial raises broader questions about corporate accountability, noting "Big Tech has operated almost as if they're untouchable.
710 Articles
710 Articles
Cherokee Tribune Ledger News
Meta defends its child safety efforts but critics say the social media giant falls short
Meta is defending itself in a California federal court against allegations that its social media business poses harms to children and teenagers. Four states accuse Meta of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing features that get…
Complaint Filed Before NHRC Against Meta Over Underage Access, Child Data And Harmful Algorithms
NGO watchdog, Legal Rights Protection Forum, has approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking an independent inquiry into Meta Platforms’ child-safety and data-privacy practices on Facebook and Instagram in India. In a complaint to the NHRC, they alleged that Meta’s platforms may be failing to effectively prevent underage children from accessing its services and raised concerns over age-assurance mechanisms, processing of child…
As Meta faces trial for hooking kids on social media, NC’s attorney general offers parents advice
A bipartisan group of 29 attorneys general allege the tech giant Meta deceived the public about the addictive nature and the harms of their product. (Photo: Getty Images)“This is the big one.” That’s how North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson described the landmark federal trial that got underway Tuesday, in which Meta is accused of designing its platforms to be addictive to children. Jackson and a bipartisan group of 28 other attorneys g…
Meta faces youth-safety trial that could reshape Facebook and Instagram
Meta’s latest youth-safety trial carries a risk that goes well beyond the headline damages claim. Four states are seeking as much as $1.4 trillion, but the more consequential issue for the company may be whether the court orders changes to how Facebook and Instagram are designed and operated. The case, now underway in federal court in Oakland, was brought by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey as part of a broader action originally fil…
29 US states are demanding billions in compensation and sweeping changes to Meta's platforms.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 48% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
