Meta Denies It ‘Hooked’ Children as Landmark US Trial Opens
Synopsis
The social media giant has rejected accusations that it deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children for profit as a landmark trial brought by 29 US states gets underway. The company faces potentially massive penalties and demands for sweeping changes to its platforms.
Meta’s test of child safety in Oakland, California, began on August 18, and the company and Instagram are now at the center of a federal lawsuit brought by 29 states, which accuse them of encouraging reckless self-posting and lying to users.
The states allege that Meta has been making its platforms addictive to children and deceptive to users, while also illegally obtaining personal information from those under the age of 13.
Meta has denied these allegations, arguing that there is no evidence that social media use by adolescents leads to worse life outcomes.
States Seek Damages and Platform Changes
Meanwhile, California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey also bring claims under their own consumer protection laws, and the privacy claims in the Meta child safety trial cover all 50 states.
The states seek $200 billion in damages. Meta has indicated that the fines can be up to $1.4 trillion in damages, including changes to the way scrolling works, likes and the display of time limits for children.
Eight jurors will decide whether Meta is guilty in front of Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who will hear arguments on the fate of the social network giant. The trial is scheduled to last about six weeks, during which Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram’s head Adam Mosseri are set to testify.
Meta’s child safety trial follows a wave of litigation against social media companies.
The Wall Street Journal investigative journalism outlet, citing Reuters, reported that states, school districts and individuals have filed thousands of lawsuits against Meta Platforms, Alphabet’s YouTube, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance and Snap, accusing them of promoting and facilitating youth addiction and harassment.
Australia Adds a Different Regulatory Test
Businesses involved in online advertising, social media and online services in Australia are also indirectly affected by the Meta child safety trial.
According to figures published by Meta in August this year, from December 2025 to June this year, the company has suspended more than 756,000 accounts suspected of being associated with users under the age of 16 in Australia. Of these, 462,000 belonged to Instagram and 294 to Facebook.
Meanwhile, under Australian law, fines for violating social media rules can be as high as A$99 million. However, eSafety statistics released this month show that in spite of these restrictions, around 80% of 10- to 15-year-olds in Australia were still using social media platforms three months after the rules came into force.
Child Safety Lawsuit in the US Sparks Closely Watched Financial Turnaround for Meta. The Meta child safety trial in the United States thus occurs against the backdrop of a significant financial turnaround for the company.
According to Meta’s annual report for 2025, released this week, the company’s revenue reached $200.97 billion in revenues and had a net income of $60.46 billion this year.
Other authorities are also watching the Meta child safety trial and want to review the way social networks handle minors. Despite recent challenges, Instagram continues to be a popular social network among US teenagers: according to Pew Research Center data from 2025, 61% of American teenagers use Instagram.
Source: Reuters
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
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