29 US states sue Meta over addictive design of Instagram and Facebook

A major trial against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, began in California with 29 U.S. states suing the tech giant. The states allege that Meta intentionally designed its social media platforms to be addictive for children and teenagers, potentially harming their mental health.

The lawsuit, filed in October 2023, claims Meta deliberately engineered features like infinite scroll, autoplay videos, and push notifications to keep young users engaged for as long as possible. Prosecutors argue these are not accidental byproducts but conscious design choices to maximize engagement, while Meta allegedly failed to address the associated risks for this vulnerable group.

A key accusation also targets Meta's handling of users under 13. Despite the company's official policy that Facebook and Instagram are not intended for children younger than 13, the states contend Meta has not done enough to prevent them from accessing the platforms. This raises concerns about violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which restricts the collection of personal data from children under 13 without parental consent.

The states are seeking a massive fine of approximately 1.21 trillion euros. Beyond financial penalties, they demand structural changes to Meta's products. These include implementing parental controls for teen users, preventing multiple account creations, removing algorithms trained on children's data, and limiting infinite scrolling. The lawsuit's outcome could have far-reaching consequences for Meta and other technology companies, especially as Meta has already faced legal setbacks, including a liability ruling in New Mexico.