Versions :<12345678Live>
Snapshot 7:Tue, Aug 18, 2026 8:03:18 PM GMT last edited by MalcolmStanding

Meta Youth Social Media Addiction Trial Begins in California

29Meta StatesYouth SueSocial MetaMedia OverAddiction Kids'Trial MentalBegins Healthin HarmCalifornia

Above: Attorney Paul Schmidt, representing Meta, arrives at the courthouse in Oakland, California, on Aug. 18. Image credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Spin


Meta knowingly designed Facebook and Instagram to hook kids, sacrificing their sleep, school performance and mental health just to rack up revenue. The evidence is clear: Meta knew its platforms were harming young users and lied about the risks anyway. Holding Meta accountable is the only way to stop a tech giant from profiting off a generation's suffering.

The states are engaging in a smear campaign against Meta. Addiction is a clinical term that doesn't apply to social media habits, however harmful, and studies are inconclusive on the effects of long-term use amongst adolescents, confounded by preexisting mental health conditions and family structure. This case is not founded upon evidence.


Metaculus Prediction

There is a 20% chance that Meta will report 1 billion active users by the end of 2031, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


The Controversies


© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.4.1

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 7.4.1