US states call for big changes to Instagram and Facebook as Meta child privacy trial begins

US states are suing the social media giant to force an overhaul of its platforms for young users. The trial beginning on Tuesday will mark another huge test for Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg's social media empire. The trial stems from a lawsuit filed in 2023 by 29 US states, including California and New York, in which they claim numerous violations of federal and state privacy laws for children. Not only are the states seeking billions of dollars from Meta, they are demanding it make changes to Instagram and Facebook, including ending 'like' counts and infinite scroll. Should Meta ultimately lose a case of this scale, it could force fundamental changes to the way young people experience social media. One state attorney general described the case as 'the largest consumer protection lawsuit in American history.' The states are putting their claims to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, a chief federal judge in California. In a recent ruling against Meta, a judge in New Mexico fined the company a collective $942m and ordered it to make changes similar to those that the additional states are now demanding. Judge Bryan Biedscheid's ordered changes include the elimination on Instagram and Facebook of like counts for users younger than 18, a ban on teenagers sending or receiving nudity through the platforms, and limiting push notifications from the apps to certain hours of the day.