Hook, hold, harvest and hide: Meta’s alleged strategy laid out in first week of landmark trial
Sunday, 23 August 2026
Warm-up
- How do social media apps keep you using them for longer?
- What online safety rules should protect children, in your view?
- When should big tech be forced to change how its products work?
Vocabulary
- alleged
- said to have happened but not yet proven in court
- landmark
- very important and likely to influence future cases or decisions
- proceedings
- the formal steps and events that happen during a trial
- liable
- legally responsible for something wrong or harmful
- damages
- money a court orders someone to pay for harm caused
- advisory
- giving recommendations but not making the final decision
- verdict
- the formal decision about who wins a case
- spokesperson
- someone who officially speaks for a company or organisation
Reading
California and 28 other US states have opened a landmark trial against Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram. A state lawyer said Meta’s model can be summed up as “hook, hold, harvest, hide”: lure users, keep them on the platform, collect their data, then hide the truth. She argued the model worked especially well for kids. The company denies the alleged misconduct.
The case is being heard in Oakland, California. The states say Meta violated federal child‑privacy and state consumer laws by gathering data on under‑13s without parental consent. They want the court to order product changes and award up to $200bn in damages. If the company is found liable, that figure could roughly match Meta’s 2025 revenue.
A Meta spokesperson called the demand an “outlandish payout”. Its lead attorney, Paul Schmidt, said there is no dispute some people struggle with social media, but argued Meta has tools to help and bans under‑13 accounts, disabling more than 1m of them.
The proceedings are expected to last six to eight weeks. The jury is advisory; Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will issue the verdict and any penalty. Jurors are expected to hear from Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri.
Comprehension
- Which four words summarised the states’ case against Meta?
- Where is the trial taking place?
- What do the states say Meta did with data from under‑13s?
- How much in damages are the states seeking at most?
- Who will make the final decision on the verdict and damages?
Grammar focus
Adverbs and adverbial phrases: degree
Adverbs of degree show how strong or weak something is (much, very, almost, particularly). They modify adjectives, adverbs or verbs to change intensity. (Examples constructed.)
- States argued the model worked particularly well for kids.
- Meta called the demand an extremely large payout.
Grammar exercise
Circle the correct option in each sentence.
- Jurors were (much / very) more likely to hear experts.
- Meta (hardly / strongly) denied the misconduct.
- The company (almost / particularly) changed its policies.
- States argued the model worked (almost / particularly) well for kids.
- They sought (roughly / greatly) $200bn in damages.
Discussion
- Should juries be advisory in complex tech cases? Why or why not?
- What product changes could make social media safer for children?
- Is banning under‑13 accounts an effective policy? Explain.
- Do huge damages improve behaviour or just punish companies?
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