Meta Faces Landmark U.S. Trial Over Child Safety On Facebook And Instagram | Explained

Livemint

Published17 Aug 2026, 09:47 PM IST

A landmark trial has begun in Oakland, California, where four states are suing Meta for allegedly designing Facebook and Instagram to get children addicted — for profit. The theoretical maximum damages: $1.4 trillion, a figure nearly equal to Meta’s market value. The lawsuit accuses Meta of using powerful technologies to ensnare teens and of collecting data on children under 13 without parental consent. Meta denies the claims, pointing to teen accounts, parental controls and AI age detection. While the full $1.4 trillion is unlikely, even a fraction would be devastating. The company has already lost two child-harm cases this year and booked $2.4 billion in legal expenses. The outcome could force major changes to how Facebook and Instagram operate.