Facebook, Instagram Face ₹125 Lakh Crore Lawsuit Over Alleged Harm to Children

Your child picks up the phone and opens Instagram. One video plays, then another. Before that one is over, something new appears on the screen. What starts as a few minutes can quietly turn into an hour.

Most parents would probably say, “My child is addicted to the phone.” But what if that is not the whole story? What if the app itself is designed to make children keep coming back?

That is the big question behind a major case now being heard in the US. Four states — California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey — are accusing Meta of deliberately designing Facebook and Instagram in ways that can make children and teenagers spend more time on the platforms.

The possible financial penalty is enormous. The states are seeking up to $1.4 trillion, or around ₹125 lakh crore. But the money may not be Meta’s biggest concern.

If the court rules against the company, Meta could be forced to make major changes to the way Facebook and Instagram work, especially when it comes to young users.

What is Meta accused of?

The states argue that features such as infinite scrolling, notifications and personalised recommendations are designed to keep users coming back to the apps. These features may look harmless on their own, but prosecutors say they can work together to keep children engaged for much longer.

That raises a much bigger question. Did Meta understand how these features could affect young users? And if it did, did the company use that weakness to increase engagement and make more money?

That question could become one of the most important parts of the case.

Why the ‘Big Tobacco’ comparison?

Some legal experts are comparing the case to the major lawsuits against tobacco companies in the 1990s.

Back then, tobacco companies faced growing questions about whether they knew the health risks of their products and whether those risks were hidden or played down. The cases eventually led to huge financial penalties and major changes in the way tobacco products were marketed.

Now, a similar debate is emerging around social media. The question is no longer simply whether social media can be harmful to children. It is whether companies knowingly designed their products to keep children hooked.

That is why some experts are calling this a potential “Big Tobacco moment” for social media.

The ₹125 lakh crore figure is not the whole story

The $1.4 trillion figure is certainly eye-catching. But Meta could face a bigger long-term problem if the court orders changes to its products and business practices.

The states are asking for more than money. They also want changes to features they believe can encourage addictive use and stronger protections for young users.

If those arguments succeed, the impact may not stop with Meta. Other major platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat could face similar legal questions.

Thousands of lawsuits involving social media and children are already moving through US courts. A major ruling against Meta could therefore become an important precedent for many of those cases.

Zuckerberg faces a major test

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is also expected to be an important witness in the case. That makes the trial even more significant.

One key issue will be what Meta knew internally about the effects of Instagram on children and teenagers. Prosecutors are likely to examine whether there was any gap between what the company knew privately and what it told the public.

Meta strongly denies the allegations. The company says it has worked with parents, experts and law enforcement agencies and remains committed to protecting young people online.

So the court is now being asked to look beyond the screen and into the business decisions behind it.

The bigger question

At its heart, this case is not really just about Facebook, Instagram or even Meta. It is about the business of capturing human attention.

If a company understands a person’s weakness and then designs its product to keep that person engaged for longer, where should the line be drawn?

Is that simply smart business?

Or does it become something else when the users are children?

That is the line the US court may now have to draw.

And that is why this case could become much bigger than a ₹125 lakh crore lawsuit. It could force the tech industry to answer a question it has largely avoided for years:

Are social media platforms serving their young users — or are young users being turned into the product?

— Surya Prakash Josyula