Tech · Instagram trialMeta On Trial: 4 States Say Instagram Was Built to Addict KidsAired August 19, 2026 at 4:51 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Opening statements began the morning of0:01August 18th, 2026 [music]0:03in a landmark trial that could force0:05sweeping changes to Instagram and0:06Facebook and cost [music] billions and0:08billions of dollars. Four states alleged0:10Meta knowingly designed and deployed0:12those platforms [music] to keep children0:13addicted. The case pits four states0:16against Meta, the owner of Instagram and0:18Facebook, over how those apps work for0:20[music] children and what the company0:21knew about the risks.0:29The states alleged Meta built dangerous0:31features [music] to drive excessive and0:33compulsive use by children and cause0:35mental health harms, then lied to the0:37public and to Congress by claiming the0:38product was safe. The California0:40Attorney General posted that0:41characterization on X as well. The0:43[music] trial centers on three features0:45the states argue are not shielded by0:47Section 230. Appearance-altering0:49filters, time-limit tools, and multiple0:51accounts. [music] The states contend0:52those are product design choices, not0:54protected speech. The states also0:56alleged Meta illegally collected data0:57from minors, including children under0:5913, [music]1:00in violation of federal children's1:02privacy law that sets the threshold at1:0313.1:04Meta denies all of it, says it has been1:06[music] proactive on safeguards, and1:08that the states lack evidence, and1:10pushes for an industry-wide approach1:11like device-level age verification. The1:14human stakes are children caught in1:15compulsive [music] loops, filters that1:17alter how they see themselves, time1:19limits that do not limit, and extra1:21accounts that keep them inside the apps1:23while their data is [music] taken. The1:24case arrives after recent losses for1:26Meta in a New Mexico case and a separate1:29Los Angeles bad weather trial. The1:31unresolved questions now are whether the1:32court agrees the three features fall1:34outside Section 230, what the evidence1:36shows about what Meta knew and when, and1:39whether that will translate into1:40billions in liability and court-ordered1:42redesigns of platforms used by millions1:44of children.1:45Like and follow for more stories that1:47matter.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗