A Landmark Trial Over Teen Social Media Addiction.
Lawyers representing 29 US states have accused Meta of concealing internal research showing that Instagram could be addictive for teenagers and harmful to young people’s mental health. The federal jury trial began in Oakland, California, and is expected to last between six and eight weeks. Prosecutors argue that Meta deliberately designed its platforms to attract and retain young users while knowing about potential harms. The case could result in damages of up to $200 billion, roughly equivalent to Meta’s total annual revenue in 2025, while also forcing the company to redesign its products to make them safer for children.
Internal Research and Psychologically Manipulative Features.
The attorneys general argue that Meta knew about the risks associated with its platforms but prioritized profits. During opening statements, California Deputy Attorney General Megan O’Neill referred to internal documents that allegedly stated, “the young ones are the best ones”, as well as another document acknowledging that “Teens are hooked despite how it makes them feel. Instagram is addictive.” The lawsuit also claims that Meta developed and refined psychologically manipulative features, including infinite-scroll recommendation algorithms, constant notifications, “likes” and visual filters. According to the states, these mechanisms encourage excessive use and can contribute to depression, anxiety, eating disorders and other mental health problems among young people.
Meta Denies the Allegations.
Meta has rejected the accusations, arguing that the evidence presented by prosecutors has been taken out of context and selectively chosen from longer conversations. The company says its research involving young users was intended to determine how it could better support teenagers. Meta’s lawyer, Paul Schmidt, also told jurors that the company has taken measures to remove underage users, including disabling more than one million accounts belonging to children under 13. In a statement, the company argued that the states had failed to demonstrate that residents were actually misled and described the financial demands as vastly disproportionate. Meta also pointed to industry-wide challenges such as age verification.
A Growing Legal Battle Over Child Safety.
The federal case is part of a rapidly expanding wave of litigation against social media companies. Just two weeks before the trial, a judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million to New Mexico, its second court-ordered financial penalty in the state, bringing the total amount owed there to $942 million. Thousands of additional lawsuits have been filed by families, school districts and state attorneys general against Meta and other companies, including YouTube, TikTok and Snap. In California alone, thousands of coordinated cases are underway. The legal strategy has been compared with the lawsuits against tobacco companies in the 1990s, which ultimately produced a $200 billion settlement in 1998 and forced major changes in marketing practices. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said the states hope to use the same approach to demonstrate that Meta concealed what it knew about the harm its products could cause young people.
Reference
Kerr, D. (2026, August 18). US states accuse Meta of covering up research on teen social media addiction in pivotal trial. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/18/meta-child-safety-addiction-lawsuit-states