Lawyers representing 29 US states have accused Meta of concealing internal research that showed Instagram could be addictive for teenagers.

On the opening day of a landmark legal challenge, the attorneys told the court that Meta knew its products could harm children but deliberately kept the findings from the public, according to The Guardian.

In her opening statement, California Deputy Attorney General Megan O’Neill said jurors would hear testimony from expert witnesses and Meta employees, as well as examine internal documents uncovered by state attorneys general during their investigation into the social media giant.

O’Neill cited a 2019 internal survey and other company documents, including one that stated, “the young ones are the best ones”.

In another document, Meta stated, “Teens are hooked despite how it makes them feel. Instagram is addictive.”

“They knew,” O’Neill said. “Time and again, profits won.”

“If you aren’t paying for the product, you are the product,” she said. “Kids are a product, and Meta took their data and used it.”

The landmark lawsuit accuses Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, of deliberately creating addictive products that targeted young users and negatively affected their mental health.