A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general led by New Jersey, California, Colorado, and Kentucky is taking Meta Platforms, Inc. to trial, alleging that Meta designed addictive features on Instagram and Facebook that harm minors' mental health, illegally collected data from children under 13 without the required protections under COPPA, and misled users about platform safety. Opening arguments begin August 18, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. No monetary penalty or final remedy has yet been imposed.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements with social media, advertising, and analytics providers to confirm that data processing clauses address collection and use of data from minors, including explicit parental-consent and age-verification requirements. Privacy policies and terms of service should be checked for overstatements about platform safety or omissions about known risks of excessive use, given the allegations that Meta misled users and families. Teams should also update consumer-facing agreements to incorporate COPPA-compliant parental consent, data minimization, and regulatory-action termination rights, and review indemnification and liability allocation clauses to protect against COPPA and consumer-protection claims.
Entity
Meta Platforms, Inc.
Industry
Social MediaOfficial Press Release
https://www.njoag.gov/attorney-general-davenport-presses-case-against-meta-as-historic-trial-begins/
https://www.njoag.gov/ag-platkin-41-other-attorneys-general-sue-meta-for-harms-to-youth-from-instagram-facebook/
https://www.njoag.gov/ahead-of-meta-trial-attorney-general-davenport-secures-critical-win/
New Jersey Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-of-consumer-affairs/
"Meta Platforms, Inc."
"illegally collected and used the data of children under the age of 13 who used its platforms"
"designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and Facebook that drive excessive use by children and teens to their mental and physical detriment"
"lied to users, their families, and the public about the safety of its platforms"
"Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)"
"New Jersey Consumer Protection Act"
$17.1B
Attorney General James and a bipartisan coalition of 50 other attorneys general secured a landmark settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta) worth up to $17.1 billion to address the company's harmful and addictive features targeting minors on Facebook and Instagram. The settlement requires Meta to implement significant changes, including age verification, time limits for minors, restrictions on notifications, and options to opt out of algorithmic feeds, along with monetary payments to states for mental health and education programs.
$353.0M
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones announced a landmark $17 billion multistate settlement with Meta joined by 52 states and U.S. territories, resolving claims that Meta deceived the public about addictive design features harming youth mental health and shared Facebook users' private information with third parties before the 2016 election. Virginia is guaranteed $353 million (with an additional $11 million for the data-sharing claims, bringing its total to $364 million). Meta must implement sweeping child-safety reforms on Instagram and Facebook, including age verification, daily time limits, and 'check in breaks,' with implementation and efficacy regularly assessed by an independent auditor.
$1.0B
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a historic settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc. requiring Meta to pay over $1 billion and implement significant new safeguards to protect children online. The settlement includes stricter age-assurance measures, a daily two-hour limit for teen users, default disabling of notifications during school hours, hidden likes/reactions, and a nighttime access mode restricting features for children.
A bipartisan coalition of 33 state attorneys general, led by Minnesota AG Keith Ellison, began trial against Meta Platforms, Inc., alleging the company knowingly designed and deployed harmful features on Facebook and Instagram that drive children and teens to use the platforms compulsively, while falsely assuring parents and the public that its platforms were safe for young users. The states also allege Meta illegally collected personal information from children under 13 without parental consent, violating COPPA. The trial opened before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, with the states seeking monetary penalties and injunctive relief.
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement marking the first day of trial in a multistate lawsuit against Meta, alleging the company knowingly designed addictive features on Facebook and Instagram that harm children's mental health. The coalition alleges Meta illegally collected personal information from children under 13 without parental consent, violating COPPA, and seeks monetary penalties, restitution, and an injunction against deceptive practices.
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones announced a court ruling denying Meta Platforms, Inc.'s motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit alleging Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children and misled parents. The court allowed claims under COPPA and the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to proceed to trial, scheduled for August 2026.