--- title: "Meta's Trial Could Change Instagram Even If the Company Wins" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/296534365.md" description: "Meta faces a pivotal child-safety trial with attorneys general from four states accusing the company of designing addictive features. A loss could mandate product changes and penalties, while a win would not end legal pressure from 25 other states and thousands of private lawsuits. Analysts maintain a Strong Buy consensus on META stock with an average price target of $750.87, suggesting significant upside potential despite ongoing litigation risks." datetime: "2026-08-20T20:31:13.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/296534365.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296534365.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/296534365.md) generator: "portal-rs" --- # Meta's Trial Could Change Instagram Even If the Company Wins Social media giant Meta Platforms (META) is fighting a major child-safety trial that could change Facebook and Instagram regardless of who wins. Attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey accuse Meta of designing its apps to keep children online for longer and misleading users about potential harm. A loss could expose the company to huge financial penalties and court-ordered product changes. However, if Meta wins, it would face similar claims from 25 other states and thousands of private lawsuits. That makes the aftermath of the trial more important than the verdict itself. ### Summer Sale - Claim 70% Off TipRanks High conviction META bears now have this Tradr ETF ## **What Happens If Meta Loses** If Meta loses, the most serious consequence may not be the financial penalty. The states want the court to order changes to features such as infinite scroll and disappearing posts. These features help keep people inside Facebook and Instagram for longer. More time in the apps creates more opportunities for Meta to show ads, so restrictions could eventually affect revenue. A loss could also make similar cases easier to pursue. Importantly, these lawsuits focus on choices that Meta made when designing its products rather than content posted by users. That distinction matters because Section 230 generally protects internet platforms from liability for what users publish. ## **A Meta Win Would Not End the Legal Pressure** On the other hand, if Meta wins, the company would avoid the immediate risk of court-ordered changes from this case. However, the legal fight would continue. The current trial involves only four of the 29 states that sued Meta in 2023. Another 25 states have similar claims waiting for trial. Meta also faces thousands of separate lawsuits involving younger users. The company has already lost cases in Los Angeles and New Mexico, which it plans to appeal. As a result, Meta could eventually decide to change parts of Instagram and Facebook even after a courtroom victory. Making some changes voluntarily could reduce the risk of future lawsuits and make it easier to reach settlements. Therefore, the question now is whether years of legal pressure will eventually force changes to the features that drive engagement and advertising revenue. Still, some experts believe that Meta could adapt without seriously hurting its business. Syracuse University professor Alexis Shore Ingber told *Yahoo Finance* that safer product design can still coexist with strong profits. ## **What Is the Price Target for Meta?** Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on META stock based on 38 Buys, five Holds, and zero Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average META price target of $750.87 per share implies 37.6% upside potential. 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