States say 25 million US children use Facebook, Instagram, as trial looms
By Mike Swift and Xu Yuan ( July 16, 2026, 22:43 GMT | Comment) -- California and 28 other states claim more than 25 million US children under 13 use Facebook and Instagram, estimates central to a trial beginning Aug. 12 seeking more than $1 trillion from Meta Platforms. Meta says the figures are inflated and based on accounts rather than unique users. In what is likely to be a central issue in the trial, the reliability of the states' estimates could help illuminate an area where there's never been definitive data about the number of under-13s on social media platforms.More than 25 million US children under the age of 13 are on Facebook and Instagram — a figure that represents up to 90 percent of children ages seven to 12 in some states — according to California and other states bringing a high-stakes lawsuit against Meta Platforms that's set for trial next month....
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