Meta deliberately “chose to exploit” young people
Meta is facing what could be its biggest legal threat yet over how its platforms affect children and teenagers.
A jury trial due to begin on August 18, 2026, stems from a 2023 lawsuit brought by 30 US states, including California and New York.
The states accuse Meta of violating federal and state privacy laws designed to protect children.
They are seeking upwards of $1 trillion from the company and demanding major changes to how Instagram and Facebook operate.
If Meta loses, the case could force fundamental changes to the way young people experience social media across the US.
What the States want Meta to Change
The states want Meta to introduce parental verification for teenage users and change what they describe as “dopamine-manipulating recommendation algorithms”.
They are also calling for the removal of many image filters that alter users’ appearances, an end to autoplay video and a ban on users creating multiple accounts.
Other demands include ending disappearing posts, such as Instagram Stories, and removing “Like” counts for young users.
The states argue that these features are designed to keep people, including children and teenagers, on Meta’s platforms for as long as possible.
They claim the company makes it difficult for young users to disengage through features including frequent notifications designed to bring them back to its apps.
According to the states, Meta deliberately “chose to exploit” young people to hook them on its platforms.
They argue this helped the company grow its user base and expand its business, with Meta now valued at about $1.5 trillion.
Meta has consistently denied the allegations, with a spokesperson saying:
“We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”
The case will be heard by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, chief federal judge in California.
She previously presided over the high-profile Elon Musk v Sam Altman trial and has developed a reputation for being direct and incisive during her nearly 20 years on the bench.
Current Legal Pressure
The lawsuit comes after another significant legal defeat for Meta in New Mexico.
A judge there recently fined the company $942 million and ordered it to introduce changes similar to those sought by the 30 states.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid ordered Meta to remove “Like” counts for users under 18 on Instagram and Facebook.
The order also banned teenagers from sending or receiving nudity through the platforms and restricted push notifications to certain hours.
Judge Biedscheid went further by declaring Meta a “public nuisance”, comparing the company’s impact on young people to a factory polluting the air.
Meta said it would appeal against the ruling.
The New Mexico order only applies within that state. However, a victory for the 30 states in the federal case could force Meta to introduce similar changes across the US.
The states involved represent almost two-thirds of the country’s population.
Such changes would significantly alter the experience of Meta’s platforms.
Like counts, for example, have been a central part of Facebook and Instagram since the early days of social media.
They remain one of the main ways users interact with posts, photos and videos across social platforms.
However, growing research has linked engagement metrics such as likes with negative experiences among young people.
Earlier in 2026, a young woman known as Kaley prevailed in a separate lawsuit against Meta.
During court testimony, she described creating dozens of accounts on YouTube and Instagram.
She used those accounts to generate likes on her own posts, hoping to increase engagement and gain validation.
Kaley was nine years old at the time.
She said she remembered feeling depressed and was later diagnosed with depression when she was 10.
Research has also suggested that like counts can contribute to feelings of rejection and depression among teenagers.
In the states’ case against Meta, lawyers have pointed to the company’s own research on the impact of likes.
Meta has handed over more than two million documents as part of the lawsuit.
Its internal research found that like counts could drive “social comparison”, where users measure their own worth against other people.
That comparison on Instagram was linked to “increased loneliness, worse body image, and negative mood or affect”, according to the research.
Judge Biedscheid described Meta’s platforms as contributing to a wider “youth mental health crisis” in his New Mexico ruling.
His decision was also significant because it marked the first time a social media company had been declared a “public nuisance”.
Now, lawyers representing 30 states will argue that Meta’s platforms have similarly harmed young people across the US.
For Meta, the outcome could determine whether some of the features that have defined Instagram and Facebook for years can continue operating in their current form.
