Meta Knew Instagram Was Addictive To Teens But Hid Research, US States Allege In Landmark Trial

Lawye s
ep ese ti g
29
US
states
have
accused
Meta
of
co ceali g
i te al
esea ch
that
allegedly
showed
I stag am
was
addictive
fo
tee age s,
as
a
la dma k
legal
battle
ove
social
media
a d
child e & squo;s
safety
got
u de
way
i
Califo ia.

Du i g
ope i g
stateme ts
o
Tuesday,
atto eys
ge e al
told
a
fede al
ju y
that
Meta
k ew
its
p oducts
could
ha m
you g
use s
but
failed
to
disclose
what
it
k ew.
The
case
ce t es
o
allegatio s
that
the
compa y
delibe ately
desig ed
I stag am
a d
Facebook
featu es
to
keep
child e
a d
tee age s
e gaged,
despite
co ce s
about
thei
effects.

Mega
O& squo;Neill,
a
deputy
atto ey
ge e al
fo
Califo ia,
told
ju o s
that
p otecti g
child e
o li e
was
a
sha ed
espo sibility
but
a gued
that
Meta
had
failed
to
uphold
its
pa t,
epo ted
The
Gua dia .& bsp;

ALSO
READ
|

UAE
Halts
All
T ade,
Fi a cial
T a sactio s
With
I a
Afte
Ballistic
Missile
Lau ches

States
Poi t
To
Meta& squo;s
I te al
Docume ts

O& squo;Neill
said
ju o s
would
hea
testimo y
f om
wit esses
a d
see
i te al
docume ts
obtai ed
du i g
i vestigatio s
i to
Meta.
She
cited
o e
docume t
that
stated,
“the
you g
o es
a e
the
best
o es& dquo;,
as
well
as
a othe
i
which
Meta
allegedly
ack owledged:
“Tee s
a e
hooked
despite
how
it
makes
them
feel.
I stag am
is
addictive.& dquo;

“They
k ew,& dquo;
O& squo;Neill
said.
“Time
a d
agai ,
p ofits
wo .& dquo;

The
lawsuit
accuses
Meta,
the
pa e t
compa y
of
I stag am
a d
Facebook,
of
i te tio ally
developi g
p oducts
desig ed
to
be
addictive
a d
d aw
you g
use s
i to
p olo ged
e gageme t,
while
allegedly
co t ibuti g
to
ha m
to
thei
me tal
health.

The
t ial
is
taki g
place
i
fede al
cou t
i
Oakla d,
Califo ia,
a d
is
expected
to
last
six
to
eight
weeks.
Meta
CEO
Ma k
Zucke be g,
I stag am
CEO
Adam
Mosse i
a d
othe
compa y
executives
a e
expected
to
testify.

Whistleblowe
Gives
Fi st
Testimo y

Followi g
ope i g
stateme ts,
the
states
called
fo me
Meta
employee
a d
whistleblowe
A tu o
Béja
as
thei
fi st
wit ess.

The
233-page
lawsuit
was
i itially
filed
i
Octobe
2023.
It
alleges
that
Meta
outi ely
collected
data
f om
child e
u de
13
without
pa e tal
co se t,
i
violatio
of
fede al
a d
state
laws.

Lawmake s
also
allege
that
Meta
has
efused
to
disco ti ue
featu es
it
k ew
could
be
ha mful
to
child e ,
a gui g
that
the
compa y& squo;s
focus
was
o
maximisi g
p ofits.
The
lawsuit
was
filed
joi tly
by
atto eys
ge e al
f om
29
states
u de
multidist ict
litigatio ,
with
lawye s
f om
Califo ia,
Colo ado,
Ke tucky
a d
New
Je sey
leadi g
the
t ial
p oceedi gs.

ALSO
READ
|

Lula
Seeks
Call
With
T ump
Amid
US-B azil
Te sio s,
Electio
I te fe e ce
Fea s

Meta
Disputes
Allegatio s

The
case
could
have
majo
co seque ces
fo
Meta
if
the
compa y
is
fou d
liable.
The
atto eys
ge e al
say
damages
could
each
as
much
as
$200
billio ,
a
amou t
equivale t
to
Meta& squo;s
a ual
eve ue
i
2025.

The
states
a e
also
seeki g
measu es
that
would
fo ce
Meta
to
cha ge
the
desig
of
its
p oducts
to
make
them
safe
fo
child e .
Such
cha ges
could
have
a
lo ge -te m
impact
o
the
compa y
tha
a y
fi a cial
pe alty.

Meta
has
de ied
the
allegatio s.
Du i g
ope i g
a gume ts,
its
lawye
Paul
Schmidt
told
ju o s
that
gove me t
lawye s
had
selected
i te al
docume ts
a d
emails
without
p ovidi g
thei
full
co text.

Schmidt
said
Meta
had
co ducted
multiple
studies
i volvi g
you g
use s
to
dete mi e
“what
ca
we
do
to
suppo t
tee s
i
this
space& dquo;.
He
also
said
the
compa y
had
disabled
mo e
tha
1
millio
accou ts
belo gi g
to
child e
u de
13
a d
was
“acti g
i
a
mea i gful
way
to
emove& dquo;
you g
use s.

A
Meta
spokespe so
said
i
a
stateme t
that
the
states
had
chose
to
pu sue
what
the
compa y
desc ibed
as
a
“outla dish
payout& dquo;
athe
tha
focus
o
the
facts
o
the
law.

Go to Sou ce