Meta is defending itself in a California federal court.

Lawsuits claim that its platforms harm children.

Four states say the company designs features on purpose.

These features get young users hooked on Instagram and Facebook.

The states want billions of dollars in damages.

They also want major changes to how Meta runs its apps.

Meta’s lawyer, Paul Schmidt, said in opening statements that the company takes children’s mental health seriously.

He said it tries to act on that concern.

Critics say Meta’s safety record is not good enough.

Marc Berkman is the executive director at the Organization for Social Media Safety.

He said the company added safety tools because of public pressure, not real concern.

He said there has been a “lack of real institutional willingness to act here.”

Meta points to changes it has made.

These include tools to block users and filter offensive comments.

The company also warns people before they post harmful content.

It says it stops adults from starting private chats with teens they do not know.

It also checks that users under 13 are not online.

In 2024, Meta launched “Teen Accounts,” which it calls a safe space.

These accounts have photo and video limits similar to a PG-13 movie.

Critics say these changes are mostly for show.

A September 2025 report from whistleblower Arturo Béjar and four nonprofits accused Meta of not taking real steps on youth safety.

Haley Hinkle is a policy counsel at Fairplay.

She said the group looked at 47 of Meta’s 53 teen safety features.

They found that 60% were not available or did not work as advertised.

Meta called the report’s findings “misleading” and “dangerously speculative.”

Researchers also say Meta has not done enough to reduce addictive design.

Ashley Shea is a Ph.D. candidate at Cornell University.

She pointed to features like infinite scrolling and push notifications.

These features “prey on the cognitive vulnerabilities” of young people.

She said Meta has dealt with cyberbullying and predators.

But it has not dealt with the addictive impact of these designs.

Meta says its time management tools show progress.

These tools include parental controls and “nudges.”

Hinkle called the tools “entirely voluntary” and “far too little too late.”

Béjar said a tool called “Take a Break” is “designed to fail” because few users turn it on.

Shea said legal pressure could push companies to change.

She added that “the momentum only continues to grow.”