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29 States Sue Meta Over Child-Addictive Design

8/22/2026

48 11 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey sued Meta in Oakland, alleging child-addictive design.
A coalition of 29 states says Meta violated COPPA and state consumer laws.
The complaint targets infinite scroll, autoplay, likes and push alerts as hooks for children.
Former safety engineer Arturo Béjar testified Meta prioritized profit over safety for users under 13.

History

Historical Context

The FTC has a history of policing online privacy in the United States, from the 2004 Gateway Learning consent decree to the 2009 Sears data-collection settlement. Its 2020 antitrust case against Meta demonstrates ongoing scrutiny of the platform. The present multi-state suit alleging child-targeting features therefore follows a long-standing regulatory trend.

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Story summary

California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey sued Meta in Oakland, alleging child-addictive design.
A coalition of 29 states says Meta violated COPPA and state consumer laws.
The complaint targets infinite scroll, autoplay, likes and push alerts as hooks for children.
Former safety engineer Arturo Béjar testified Meta prioritized profit over safety for users under 13.

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