Meta Faces Federal Trial Over Allegations of Addictive Social Media Design Harming Minors
A federal trial has commenced in Oakland, California, where four U.S. states—California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey—are suing Meta Platforms. The states allege that Meta intentionally designed its flagship products, Instagram and Facebook, to be addictive for minors through features like infinite scroll, photo filters, and the 'like' button. According to California Deputy Attorney General Megan O'Neill, Meta's business model is to 'hook' users, 'hold' them, 'harvest' their data, and 'hide' the truth about the platforms' dangers. The lawsuit claims Meta knew its platforms were harmful to children's mental health but misled the public. Furthermore, Meta is accused of violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting personal data from users under 13 without parental consent. Meta has denied these allegations, stating its commitment to creating strong protections for teens, including enhanced privacy settings and usage timers. The trial's stakes are high, with potential pena... 
