Law & Justice
Meta accused of hooking children in $200bn trial
A coalition of US states is seeking about $200 billion in penalties from Meta in a federal trial over allegations that the company deliberately made Instagram and Facebook addictive to young users.
In opening statements in Oakland on Tuesday, California prosecutor Megan O'Neill said Meta's business model was to “hook the users,” keep them online, collect their data and hide the truth from the public. She said Meta “exploited how kids' brains work.”
Meta denies the allegations. Its lawyer, Paul Schmidt, 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.” Before the trial began, Meta said it had worked with parents, experts and law enforcement to add safeguards for children.
California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are representing a coalition of 29 states that first sued Meta in 2023. The states accuse Meta of misleading the public about the dangers of its apps for minors, designing features to keep children online and collecting data on children under 13 without parental consent, in alleged violation of federal law. They are also demanding changes to Meta's apps to protect young users, including screen-time limits.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said the states were acting where “Congress failed to act” and said the case, like earlier tobacco litigation, involved public health and marketing to children.
Former Meta engineering director Arturo Bejar testified that in Facebook's early years, “the goal was to be able to get things into the hands of users as fast as possible,” which meant safety or security was often an afterthought. A judge denied Meta's attempt to block Bejar from testifying days before the trial.
Meta founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri are among the witnesses expected to testify, according to court documents. California Attorney General Rob Bonta declined to confirm whether Zuckerberg would be called to the stand.
Activists rallied outside court, including mothers of children they say were driven to suicide by social media use. Vincent Joralemon, a director at Berkeley's Life Sciences Law and Policy Center, told AFP that the case could bring reputational harm for Meta and force major changes to Facebook and Instagram.
The trial is expected to last about six weeks, with a verdict expected by October.
Update
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said the states were intervening where Congress had failed to act and compared the case to landmark tobacco litigation.
Former Meta engineering director Arturo Bejar testified that safety or security was often an afterthought in Facebook's early years.
A judge denied Meta's attempt to block Bejar from testifying days before the trial.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 23:51:52 UTC.
Update
Meta lawyer Paul Schmidt acknowledged that some users were harmed but said the company tried to create tools to help them.
The states are seeking $200 billion in penalties.
Experts and a Berkeley law policy director compared the case with 1990s tobacco litigation and said reputational harm and platform changes are major issues for Meta.
The source adds context on the 1998 tobacco settlement and payments reported by the National Association of Attorneys General.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 20:26:02 UTC.
Update
US states are seeking $200 billion in penalties from Meta.
California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are representing a coalition of 29 states that sued Meta in 2023.
The states accuse Meta of misleading the public about app risks for minors, designing features to keep young users online and collecting data from children under 13 without parental consent.
Meta denies all allegations and says it worked with parents, experts and law enforcement on safeguards for children.
Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri are expected to testify.
The states are also seeking changes to Meta's apps, including screen time limits for young users.
The trial is expected to last six weeks, with a verdict expected by October.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 17:27:43 UTC.
Update
Opening arguments were set to begin Tuesday in the federal trial.
The trial is described as the first federal trial among expected lawsuits against major social media platforms over youth mental health and safety.
Meta founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri are expected to testify.
The states' claims are described as including alleged public misrepresentation, addictive design features and data collection from children under 13 without parental consent.
Meta said it strongly disagrees with the allegations and denied all claims.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 15:00:35 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The allegations against Meta have not been decided by the court.
Court documents list Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri among expected witnesses, but California Attorney General Rob Bonta did not confirm whether Zuckerberg would testify.
Source
AFP news report published on .