Meta Accused of Exploiting Kids as Social Media Trial Gets Underway

(Bloomberg) — Meta Platforms Inc. has deceived the public for years by targeting children on Facebook and Instagram with technology designed to turn them into compulsive users and drive up advertising revenue, a lawyer at the California attorney general’s office told a jury.

In her opening statement at a historic trial in federal court in Oakland, California, Megan O’Neill said the 29 states suing Meta are seeking to hold the company accountable for misleading children and their parents about safety risks and intrusions on privacy.