Meta Platforms and attorneys general from multiple U.S. states have engaged in discussions regarding a potential settlement of a lawsuit accusing the company of deliberately designing its platforms to be addictive to young users.
The case, currently proceeding in a federal court in California, involves claims brought by 29 states. They allege Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms were engineered to maximize engagement among minors, contributing to a nationwide youth mental health crisis. The litigation is part of a broader wave of legal actions against social media companies by states, local governments, school districts, and individuals.
A federal appeals court denied a request to delay the trial just days before jury selection began on August 12. The trial includes claims under the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, with plaintiffs asserting Meta collected personal data from users known to be children without parental notification or consent. The data was allegedly used to train machine learning and generative AI models.
Four states—California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey—had their state consumer protection laws covered in the federal court proceedings. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford separately announced plans for a media press conference regarding "a major consumer protection settlement involving a leading technology company."
Meta has denied the allegations, stating it has implemented measures to protect children on its platforms. The company argued that "social media addiction" is not a recognized psychiatric condition and therefore it could not have misled consumers about such risks.
