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US states accuse Meta of designing its social media platforms to hook young users

This concerns claims that the firm deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to encourage compulsive use among young users

The new measures are expected to come into force in spring 2027

A US federal judge rejected Meta Platforms’ bid to dismiss a lawsuit by dozens of US state attorneys general accusing it of designing Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children and knowingly concealing the harm from the public.

Tech companies can face a fine of up to A$49.5 million (S$43.9 million)

The company has denied the allegations

The company is facing a wave of litigation and regulatory threats globally linked to the welfare of young users

[LOS ANGELES] Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday repeatedly said during a landmark trial over youth social media addiction that the Facebook and Instagram operator does not allow kids under 13 on its platforms, despite being confronted with evidence suggesting they were a key demographic.

[LOS ANGELES] The top executive at Meta Platforms’ Instagram defended the social media platform’s choices around features that some company insiders called harmful to young users, at a trial on claims the app helped fuel a youth mental-health crisis.