Meta rejects claims it hooked children to Instagram, Facebook
What's the story
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is facing a major lawsuit from 29 US states. The lawsuit alleges that Meta has violated federal and state privacy laws for children. The case was filed in 2023 and claims that the social media giant has intentionally hooked a generation of children on its platforms. A jury in Oakland, California, will hear the case over the next six weeks.
Negligence claims
Millions of underage users allegedly found on Instagram
California's attorney alleged that Meta found "millions" of 11- and 12-year-olds on Instagram but "did little to keep them off."
However, a representative from the company countered this claim by saying that only just over 100,000 such users were found.
California's legal counsel argued that Meta was well aware its platforms harmed teen mental health, while Meta countered that critics were ignoring the positive experiences other teenagers had.
Research revelations
Internal documents show Meta was aware of potential harm
The trial has brought to light several internal documents from Meta, including research, emails, and chat logs.
One piece of internal research on Instagram said: "Teens have an addict's narrative about use."
Another document found that "product features designed to increase time spent are inherently at odds with well-being and take away from people's ability to focus on activity that adds value to their lives."
Business practices
Company's business model questioned
Megan O'Neill, a lead attorney for California, claimed that despite knowing the potential harm of its platforms, Meta targeted young people as users of Facebook and Instagram.
She said the company's business model could be summed up as: "Hook the users; hold them for as long as they can; harvest their data; hide the truth from the public when making public statements."
This statement questioned Meta's commitment to user safety over profits.
Defense strategy
Lead attorney for Meta defends company
O'Neill presented Meta's internal research showing "1 in 5 teens says Instagram makes them feel worse."
While Meta lead attorney Paul Schmidt conceded the figure "sounds pretty bad," he countered that the same document revealed 41% of teens felt better and 41% felt no effect.
Schmidt defended Meta against claims that it had failed to stop underage users from using its platforms or that they were designed to be addictive.