# US states sue Meta, accusing it of hooking children on Facebook and Instagram

A coalition of US states has filed lawsuits against Meta, alleging the company deliberately designed its platforms to addict young users, citing internal documents including a quote about "the young ones being the best ones." The legal action claims Meta violated child safety and consumer protection laws. This suit adds mounting regulatory pressure on the tech giant over youth mental health.

**Importance:** 4/5

## Sources

### Business
- [Fox News Business](https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/states-accuse-meta-targeting-children-facebook-instagram-addiction-the-young-ones-best-ones) — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:59:08 GMT

### World
- [BBC World](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly5r7vr7q1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 22:11:07 GMT
- [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/8/19/trial-begins-that-could-force-meta-to-change-facebook-and-instagram?traffic_source=rss) — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 03:20:24 +0000