Meta is defending itself in a California federal court against lawsuits claiming its platforms harm children.

Four states allege the company deliberately designs features to get young users hooked on Instagram and Facebook.

They are seeking billions in damages and 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 and tries to act on it.

Critics say Meta’s safety record falls short.

Marc Berkman, executive director at the Organization for Social Media Safety, said the company introduced safeguards in response to public pressure, not 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, filter offensive comments, and warn people before posting harmful content.

The company says it prevents adults from starting private chats with teens they are not connected to.

It also checks that users under 13 are not online.

In 2024, Meta launched “Teen Accounts,” which it calls a safe space, with photo and video restrictions similar to a PG-13 movie.

Critics say these changes are mostly corporate posturing.

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

Haley Hinkle, policy counsel at Fairplay, said the group evaluated 47 of Meta’s 53 teen safety features and found 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, a Cornell University Ph.D. candidate, pointed to features like infinite scrolling and push notifications that “prey on the cognitive vulnerabilities” of young people.

She said Meta has addressed cyberbullying and predators but not the addictive impact of these designs.

Meta says its time management tools, such as parental controls and “nudges,” show progress.

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 adapt, adding that “the momentum only continues to grow.”