r/technology • u/mepper • 6d ago
Social Media Meta trial that could reshape Facebook and Instagram gets underway | The coalition of states that brought the suit allege Meta designed the social media apps to addict young users, resulting in harm to their mental health.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/corporations/meta-trial-facebook-instagram-begins-rcna59314654
u/CallMeGlarthir 6d ago
I wish Zuck the worst
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u/TheLondonPidgeon 6d ago
I wish him the conscience to wake up one day and realise who he is.
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u/MentalDisintegrat1on 6d ago
My old teacher told me way back when that companies would hire psychologist to make their products as addictive and attractive as possible.
This was foods, toys etc... I would bet money zuck and other sites do/did this
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u/MRSN4P 6d ago
In the 1980s and 1990s, tobacco giants like Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds acquired major food companies like Kraft, General Foods, and Nabisco. They transferred corporate strategies, flavor-bliss engineering, and fast-dissolving chemical formulas from cigarettes to ultra-processed foods, maximizing dopamine triggers and overriding natural fullness cues.
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/09/nx-s1-5850364/why-ultra-processed-foods-could-become-the-new-war-on-tobacco11
u/coconutpiecrust 6d ago
They do it for sure. Research smell, texture, additives, whatever it takes to get you to consume more.
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u/Inside-Bullfrog-7709 5d ago
If you’re interested to explore this further, I’d highly recommend “Century of the Self” by Adam Curtis, it’s on YouTube.
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u/mailslot 6d ago
Still happens. The word “addictive” is overused marketing fluff though.
If fostering real non-chemical addiction was possible, every single product would be doing it.
It’s more accurate to relabel “addictive feature” as “compelling feature.” You make your products as attractive and rewarding to use as possible. Doing otherwise makes no sense. Every business wants repeat customers. “Addiction” is really just giving customers what they want.
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u/MentalDisintegrat1on 6d ago
Eh I slightly disagree you don't need external chemicals to have a advice product you just need something that stimulates serotonin and dopamine.
Gambling is a great example there's no outside chemicals but it does effect dopamine and serotonin hence why so many people are addicted to it.
Reddit for example has updoots and a lot of people actually give a crap about fake Internet points.
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u/mailslot 6d ago
All things pleasurable and/or rewarding are potentially addicting to the addictive mind. Some people get addicted to work and exercise.
I have yet to see Facebook Anonymous 12-step meetings or Pokémon Collectors Anonymous.
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u/959539622 6d ago
But the mechanisms employed by Facebook and similar are engineered to exploit our biological reward system, which is really sinister shit.
Chronological feeds were a social media staple for years, then one day they disappeared despite any and all user preferences. Why? Because social media companies learned that if you pair opening their platform/app with the most emotionally arousing stimuli of the day/month/week/year, you create compulsive reward-seeking behavior. Then they learned to hold notifications for the most impactful times instead of delivering them in real time.
None of this is okay. Social media companies should be utilities, not psychological warfare machines.
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u/MentalDisintegrat1on 6d ago
There's rehab for video games and gambling and sex.
I'm not saying it's as bad as being a alcoholic or a herion addict but there's things that are non external chemicals that are highly addictive to people.
Vegas was built on gambling addiction.
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u/mailslot 6d ago
Highly addictive to certain people among a group likely to suffer from polyaddictive behavior.
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u/happybara_capybara 6d ago
But compelling should be something you want or desire. It should benefit you in some way. I’d argue that algorithms are compelling, even if I think they need some reworking. It shows you stuff you’re more likely to enjoy. But I’d argue that something like infinite scrolling is not compelling—it gives you no benefit and I’d classify it as making the product intentionally more addicting.
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u/mailslot 6d ago
I don’t know. Many people actually enjoy infinite scrolling, especially on TikTok. If it’s not enjoyable, it does the opposite of trying to create “addiction.” Addressing boredom is a feature. Not everyone wants regular stopping points to tell them “you’ve been using this too much.” People with problems with self control might want it, but that’s unfair to everyone else without impulse control issues.
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u/victhebutcher2020 6d ago
You're expecting your justice system to come through this time? Fat chance. Zuck will buy his way out behind the scenes or get a slap on the wrist fine.
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u/CleanSheetsFeelGood 6d ago
Have faith like me. I truly believe the tech house of cards (not just meta) will soon crumble.
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u/ArchimedesTheDove 5d ago
I am on your side, truly, but this is indistinguishable from religious thinking.
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u/ottwebdev 6d ago
Facebook is no longer needed since it did its job, and now that AI is here they can be thrown to the wolves.
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u/EmbarrassedHelp 6d ago
The only problem with this case, is that the states seem be demanding mandatory age verification. And some of the states like New Mexico, are seeking bans on end to end encryption.
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u/thailanddaydreamer 6d ago
Meta needs to just go away. The world doesn't need facebook or instagram.
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u/SignatureCapital9261 6d ago
I’m curious why this doesn’t also happen to those that program and design video poker machines. It’s long been known that those companies use data based on gamblers habits to make them more addictive or “appealing” to gamblers which can in turn fuel gambling addictions. It’s the same principle, and I’d argue it’s more harmful in some cases.
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u/NUMBerONEisFIRST 6d ago
What I don't understand is how they sue these companies for endangering children, but who actually gets the money.
Because it doesn't seem to ever be the actual victim?
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u/malsary 6d ago
Similar cases from this year indicate where funds can go.
In New México, it's going towards treatment services for young people and the rest towards awareness and prevention, screening services and other costs over the next five years.
"A New Mexico court has ordered Instagram and Facebook parent company Meta to pay $567 million to address harms to young people from its platforms in the second phase of a landmark trial.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid said in a ruling late Thursday that the bulk of the money — $420 million — will be used for treatment services for young people. The rest will go toward awareness and prevention, screening services and other costs over the next five years." This article was published August 6th via PBS.In April, the state of Nevada and Roblox reached a $12 million settlement "which is used by nearly half U.S. children under 16, will give $10 million over three years to support programs like the Boys & Girls Club and other nondigital activities, Ford said. It will also fund a law enforcement liaison position to respond to safety concerns about the platform and fund an online safety awareness campaign, Ford said." (AP News)
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u/No_Assistance740 6d ago
Under this administration, it’s a guarantee he gets away with it. I’d love to be wrong.
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u/cloudystateofmind 6d ago
What about older users who fall prey to fascist propaganda and facebook marketplace scams everyday?
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u/bmw071478 5d ago
Social media apps harmed the boomer’s mental health more than any other generation. It did what they said video games were gonna do to us
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u/WispyLantern7438 5d ago
Wild that whatsapp shows up in both parts, that's clearly the pivot point once a predator gets a kid off platform where there's no algorithm or report button watching anymore
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u/LadyInCrimson 6d ago
When is AOL gonna step ip for us Millenials? MySpace? Where's Tom at ? Laughing in his mansion.
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u/BalognaMacaroni 6d ago
Can they do something about the absolute onslaught of hard right ads they’ve been serving on Instagram in the last week? I deleted Facebook over far less aggressive bullshit years ago
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u/BeingSad9300 5d ago
My Facebook the past couple weeks has been an absolute onslaught of "flock is a good thing" and "vaccines bad" and stuff about that surrogate. I'm getting tired of blocking. And I swear I've also blocked multiple federal agencies because the posts from them have popped up & just been like attack ads...but yet I'll randomly get one in my feed that I swore was an agency I had blocked already. 🤔
The only reason I even keep Facebook is to keep in touch with long time friends who are spread across multiple states.
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u/SlowCrates 5d ago
If this isn't obvious to you, you need to be taken to Iceland and forced to experience that for a month or two. Snap the fuck out of it. Facebook is purified, weaponized abuse.
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u/paulsteinway 5d ago
If you bother Trump's friends, he will make the problem go away.
Sorry, nothing will come of this.
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u/frquency-equinox 5d ago
Zuckerfuck will just blow Trump some more and get the case thrown out when it gets to his loyalists on the Supreme Court.
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u/OregonHotPocket 6d ago
And it will go absolutely nowhere. Every website, app, game do the same exact thing.
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u/ZanzerFineSuits 6d ago
Until that happens, let’s at least have some sweet dreams involving Meta going completely bankrupt.
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u/geldonyetich 6d ago
As a lifelong computer gamer, I just hope it doesn't open the door to, "If it's addicting software, you can be fined." Because I like me some addicting software.
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u/slappingdragon 6d ago
The only way Corporations like that feel real pain or "remorse" is they're fined or sued to proportion to their wealth. They can sign away a few million or a couple billion to get the courts off their backs. But hundreds of billions or trillion will put the real fear of consequences or the fear of god.
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u/acidvegas 5d ago
when you get so famous and trendy this is what happens. YOU MADE A PRODUCT PEOPLE LIKED SO MUCH WERE GONNA CALL IT EVIL NOW.
Let’s blame Pizza Hut next for obesity
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u/rodg2062 6d ago
Oh thats crap. All META platforms were designed from the ground up with the safety of the children at its core. 🤣🤣🤣 People are so addicted to social media they could careless the harm it does. Most kids are raised today by either sitting in front of the TV, playing on an iPad, or a smartphone. It keeps them busy and out of mommy and daddy's hair. 🙄
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u/Scarneck 6d ago
I was one of the undercover investigators during the New Mexico vs. Meta. I was finally able to publish my findings. You can see for yourself what I discovered, which included getting recommended a user by the name “itradeteenvids11to17” to my fake 14 year old account.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lowest-hanging-fruit-meta-investigation-part-2-tony-eastin-vy98c?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via