World | Deutsche Welle
· collected 2026-08-19 · by Dharvi Vaid Dhulia, Natalie Muller
A US federal court heard that Meta intentionally exploited children with addictive features on its platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, as a landmark trial began in California. Four states - California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey - are suing Meta for allegedly misleading the public about safety and collecting data from children under 13 without parental consent. The states seek $200 billion in damages and significant changes to Meta's core platforms. In opening statements, prosecutors argued that Meta had researched vulnerabilities in children's brains and deliberately used this knowledge to create addictive features on its apps.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A landmark trial began in California to hold Meta accountable for allegedly harming children with its social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook. Four US states - California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey - are suing the company, accusing it of misleading the public about the safety of these apps and deliberately making them addictive to minors. The states claim that Meta is violating privacy laws by collecting data on children under 13 without their parents' consent. They are seeking around $200 billion in damages as well as significant changes to Meta's core platforms. During opening statements, California prosecutor Megan O'Neill painted Meta's business model as one intended to "hook the users" and harvest their data. Meta's lawyer acknowledged that some users had negative experiences on the apps but argued that the company had tried to come up with tools to help them. The trial is expected to be a significant test of social media companies' responsibility for the harm caused by their platforms. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's founder and CEO, is expected to testify during the proceedings.
Written for “Meta Social Media Lawsuits” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.
Meta intentionally hooked and exploited children, a US federal court heard Tuesday as a landmark trial seeking to hold Meta accountable for the alleged harm its social media platforms cause children began in California.
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platforms → hook → California
Four US states, California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, argue the company misled the public about the safety of Instagram and Facebook and deliberately made the apps addictive for minors.
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apps → argue → minors
Lawyers for the states also allege Meta is violating privacy laws by routinely collecting data on children under 13 without their parents' consent.
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Meta → allege → consent
The states are seeking around $200 billion (€173 billion) in damages as well as significant changes to Meta's core platforms.
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states → seek → platforms
They are part of a coalition of 29 states that sued the tech giant in 2023 for allegedly building addictive features into its apps.
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that → sue → apps
What happened on day 1 of the Meta trial?
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What → happen → trial
On Tuesday, opening statements were made in the federal court in Oakland, a short drive from San Francisco.
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statements → make → Francisco
Megan O'Neill, a deputy attorney general for California, laid out the case to the eight-person jury.
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O'Neill → lay → jury
"You're going to hear that Meta knew a lot about kids' brains," O'Neill said.
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O'Neill → go → brains
"This includes how they are constantly seeking rewards, how they are sensitive to social feedback and how they are still developing their ability to control impulses the way adults do."
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adults → include → impulses
O'Neill said that Meta had researched these vulnerabilities and talked about how its Instagram platform could be changed to respond to them.
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platform → say → them
She told the court of a Meta study titled 'The young ones are the best ones,' alleging that for the company, "kids are the product."
What did Meta's lawyer say about the accusations?
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lawyer → tell → accusations
Meta attorney Paul Schmidt said in his opening statement that there was "no dispute" that some social media users face struggles.
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users → say → struggles
However, he said that research showed no clear association between adolescents' social media use and their well-being.
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research → say → use
Schmidt said that Meta had "tried to come up with tools" to help users who have negative experiences on its apps.
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who → say → apps
"Much of this lawsuit is about the government attorneys and their witnesses saying, 'in trying to improve, we'd do it a little differently,'" Schmidt said.
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Schmidt → say → it
He argued that Meta's efforts to improve tools to help users on their platforms had been "meaningful."
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efforts → argue → platforms
Biggest legal test of social media's effects on children
Former Meta employee and expert witness Arturo Bejar testified on Tuesday, despite the company's efforts to block his appearance at the trial.
The former Meta engineering director said that during Facebook's nascent years, "the goal was to be able to get things into the hands of users as fast as possible, which meant that a lot of the time, safety or security was an afterthought."
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safety → testify → time
Many experts have called the trial social media's "big tobacco moment," referring to the pivotal 1990 trials of cigarette makers during which they were held accountable for selling a product they were aware was harmful.
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they → call → product
The eight jurors in the Meta trial are expected to issue an advisory verdict, but the final decision in the case rests with Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
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decision → expect → Rogers
The trial is set to last six to eight weeks, with a verdict expected by October.
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verdict → set → October
Among the star witnesses expected to testify during the proceedings is Meta founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.
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Zuckerberg → expect → proceedings
Edited by: Louis Oelofse and Karl Sexton
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algorithm → edit → news
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you → rely → news
