Marketplace Tech · Thursday, July 16, 2026
Attorneys General from California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are suing Meta for $1.4 trillion, alleging that Facebook and Instagram were designed to be addictive to young users. The lawsuit claims Meta used addictive features to mislead consumers and hide harm, and also violates COPPA by collecting data from children under 13 without parental consent. The case is set to go to court next month, following a recent verdict where Meta was found liable for mental health harms linked to addiction in a young woman.
“The Attorneys General of four states, California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, are suing Meta for $1.4 trillion, claiming the social media giant designed Facebook and Instagram to addict young users.”
“The case is heading to court in Oakland, California next month.”
“An LA jury found Meta and YouTube liable for mental health harms to a young woman who said she'd become addicted to the platforms starting at nine years old.”