Meta accused of designing addictive social media for youth
Opening statements began Tuesday in a landmark federal trial in which Meta is accused of designing its social media platforms to be addictive for young users, leading to widespread mental health problems.
The digital age has given humanity unprecedented opportunities for connection, but it has also brought hidden dangers that hit the most vulnerable hardest — children and teenagers. When algorithms are trained to manipulate attention and endless scrolling becomes a digital drug, the question of tech giants’ responsibility transcends legal arguments and enters the moral realm. What is at stake in this courtroom is not just the fate of one corporation — it is the price we are willing to pay for digital comfort and where we draw the line between innovation and the protection of childhood.
In a federal court in Oakland, California, lawyers for 29 US states argued that Meta's apps — Facebook and Instagram — use features like infinite scroll and push notifications to keep teenagers engaged, even collecting data from children under 13. The states are seeking damages of up to $200 billion. Meta counters that such penalties could reach $1.4 trillion and insists it has already taken preventive measures to protect teens, blocking more than a million accounts belonging to users under 13.
The case follows Meta's losses in similar lawsuits in Los Angeles and New Mexico in March. Widely seen as the “big tobacco moment” for the tech industry, this case carries not only colossal financial risks but also the potential to fundamentally change how digital platforms interact with minors.
Outside the courthouse, supporters of the plaintiffs gathered to share the harrowing stories behind the case. In February 2025, Shannon Hickok rushed into her laundry room and found her 16 year old son Elijah dying. Hickok said her son had fallen victim to sexual extortion by an adult predator who had learned everything about him from his social media profiles. “I panicked, cleaning blood from my son's mouth, begging him to breathe. I watched him lose his battle. I walked out of the room so his twin brother and younger brother would never see what I saw. But unfortunately, they did,” Hickok said. Speaking to a reporter, she added: “Our children are fighting a war we weren't invited to.”
A group of mothers and demonstrators unfurled a banner outside the courthouse with the names of 369 teenage victims, noting that 39 more names had been added to the list since Meta’s losses in state court in March. “I carry Emmy in my heart every second of every day. I fight for her. I fight for my daughter Kaylee, who is now raising my grandson Kai, without the aunt he deserved. And I fight for every family broken by Meta, for those who put profit above people,” said another mother, Erin Popolo, who lost her daughter Emmy.
“We need to bring it all back to what it was intended for — for people to connect in a digital way. Because kids don’t do that. They use these products as a crutch to somehow get through life. They don’t even know how to communicate. They don’t know how to look someone in the eye when talking to them. It really hinders them and their future development,” Popolo said.
Young people whose childhoods were shaped by social media also spoke out. “The company that operated in this courthouse reduced my childhood to watching videos and sold them to advertisers who, knowing my brain better than I do, consciously and deliberately ripped me out of the real world and stunted my development,” said student activist Dawson Kelly.
The lawsuit against Meta is the largest in US history concerning the protection of minors in the digital environment. Twenty nine states have joined a collective lawsuit, arguing that the company violated consumer protection and privacy laws. In March 2026, Meta already lost similar cases in California and New Mexico, setting a precedent for federal proceedings. Plaintiffs’ lawyers insist that Meta’s own internal research confirms the harmful impact of its products on teenage mental health, especially among girls. The trial is expected to last up to eight weeks, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg scheduled to testify.
As CCTV+ reports, the outcome of this case could be a turning point for the entire social media industry, similar to how lawsuits against tobacco companies changed attitudes towards smoking. Behind the legal arguments are thousands of shattered lives, and in the coming weeks, a jury will decide whether corporate profit must give way to child safety. The answer to this question will define the future of the digital space for an entire generation.
