Meta ran thousands of TV ads ahead of teen addiction trial

"The ads have appeared on live broadcasts across national networks including CNN, Fox and ABC for the past several months, running more than 3,500 times since November, according to public data collected by the Tech Oversight Project, a Big Tech accountability organization. The ads promote the company's teen accounts on Instagram, which limit a teen user's contacts and content settings."

"Alongside Google's YouTube, Meta is facing claims that its products were built to keep young people scrolling allegations that have drawn comparisons to Big Tobacco's reckoning with consumer addiction three decades ago. Television ads at this scale can cost hundreds and thousands of dollars, according to advertising firm AdImpact. The ads, which also appeared on smaller local stations in addition to national broadcasts, also draw a price premium since viewers are unable to skip the commercials."

Meta Platforms Inc. has paid for thousands of television commercials promoting Instagram's teen accounts and safety work ahead of a landmark jury trial examining whether the company built products to addict kids to social media. Ads ran more than 3,500 times since November on national networks including CNN, Fox and ABC, according to public data from the Tech Oversight Project. Meta paused the ads in January and then resumed the campaign before the teen addiction trial in Los Angeles. AdImpact data shows nearly $700,000 spent on one ad with 6.5 million impressions. Meta says hundreds of millions of teens use teen accounts and reports reduced sensitive content, less unwanted contact, and lower overnight usage.

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