Meta Accused of Hooking and Exploiting Children in Federal Trial

Meta knowingly hooked and exploited children, a US federal court heard Tuesday, as a trial unfolds against the social media giant on charges that it deliberately made Instagram and Facebook addictive to young users.

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Meta knowingly hooked and exploited children.

In a case many experts are calling social media's "big tobacco moment," a coalition of 33 states, including California and New York, is seeking approximately $200 billion in penalties. Prosecutors argue that Meta deliberately designed its platforms to be addictive, thereby harming young people's mental health and contributing to the youth mental health crisis.

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Congress failed to act.

During opening statements, California prosecutor Megan O'Neill asserted that Meta's business model is designed to "hook the users, hold them for as long as they can, harvest their data, and then hide the truth from the public." She further stated that Meta "exploited how kids' brains work."

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hook the users, hold them for as long as they can, harvest their data, and then hide the truth from the public.

Meta's lawyer, Paul Schmidt, acknowledged that some users have reported negative experiences but contended that the company has "tried to come up with tools to help them." The company has denied the allegations, maintaining that it has worked with parents, experts, and law enforcement to incorporate child safety measures. However, former Meta engineering director Arturo Bejar testified that early in Facebook's development, the priority was rapid user acquisition, with safety often being an "afterthought."

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exploited how kids’ brains work.