Meta Faces New Allegations in Oakland Over the Protection of Minors

Oakland – 13 August 2026: Jury selection has begun before the federal court in Oakland for another trial against Meta. The company behind Facebook and Instagram faces wide-ranging allegations from several U.S. states. The case will examine whether the platforms deliberately encourage young people to use them for long periods, contribute to psychological distress, and violate children’s data protection rules in the process.

Initially, the claims brought by four of the 29 states involved will be heard: California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey. The proceedings launched in 2023 consolidate their allegations before a federal court. According to the Associated Press news agency, the main trial is scheduled to begin on 18 August 2026 and is expected to last six to eight weeks. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is presiding.

The plaintiffs argue that Meta designed features of Instagram and Facebook so that minors would remain on the platforms for as long as possible. These include mechanisms that continuously offer new content, reward feedback and capture users’ attention. The company allegedly knew about the associated risks but placed the commercial success of its services above the protection of young people.

There is also a data protection allegation: Meta is said to have collected personal data from children under the age of 13 without the required parental consent. The proceedings therefore concern both the health consequences of platform use and the special legal protection afforded to children’s data. The states are seeking financial penalties and changes to the services, including stricter safety measures and more reliable age verification.

Meta rejects the allegations. The evidence will demonstrate the company’s long-standing commitment to protecting young users, the company said. It points to youth accounts and parental control options that have already been introduced, as well as cooperation with experts and law enforcement agencies. During the trial, Meta will be able to explain how these measures work and when they were introduced.

The proceedings follow further legal disputes concerning the protection of minors on major online platforms. In New Mexico, Meta was recently ordered to make additional payments of $567 million to fund support, prevention and awareness measures. The amount was added to civil penalties of $375 million that had already been imposed. Meta announced that it would appeal.

In Oakland, the evidentiary phase will now begin. The plaintiff states must show that the design of the platforms and the collection of data violated applicable law. The ruling could therefore have implications beyond this individual case for the safeguards that social networks must provide for underage users.