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Meta defends child-targeting claims in states trial over Facebook and Instagram
The trial in Oakland, California is expected to run for six weeks, with states seeking billions of dollars and court-ordered changes to features including like counts and infinite scroll.
A US jury in Oakland, California will hear opening arguments in a trial tied to a major lawsuit against Meta over claims the company intentionally hooked children on Facebook and Instagram, as reported by BBC Business.
Lawyers for California argued Meta found millions of 11 and 12-year-olds on Instagram and did little to keep them off, while Meta said just over 100,000 such users were found and also argued that social media addiction does not exist.
The case stems from a 2023 complaint filed by 29 US states, including California and New York, which alleges violations of federal and state privacy laws for children and seeks billions of dollars from Meta.
BBC Business reports that the states are also asking the court to require changes to Instagram and Facebook, including ending like counts and infinite scroll, while Meta’s lead attorney challenged both the “hooking” claims and Meta’s ability to track underage users given the privacy laws at issue.