Meta Faces Legal Battle Over Child Addiction Claims
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) is set to defend itself in federal court in Oakland on Tuesday against allegations from 29 states claiming the company intentionally designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive for children while misrepresenting their safety to parents. This trial follows a significant loss in New Mexico, where Meta was ordered to pay nearly $1 billion for similar allegations, including 75,000 violations related to consumer protection laws.
The states argue that features like infinite scroll and weak age controls contribute to addiction, violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). A judge previously dismissed most of Meta’s attempts to have the case thrown out. If Meta loses this case, it could resemble a “big tobacco moment” for the tech industry, potentially leading to a wave of lawsuits and a major shift in product design across social media platforms.
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