On 18 August 2026, a courtroom in Oakland, California opened one of the biggest tech trials in years. Four US states — California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey — are suing Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, arguing the company deliberately built its apps to be addictive to children, then hid what it knew about the harm. Twenty-five more states are lined up to bring similar cases afterward. The states are asking for roughly $200 billion in penalties.
This single story happens to sit on top of four topics IELTS examiners love in Part 3: technology, health, the law, and how companies should be regulated. That makes it a genuinely useful piece of real-world knowledge to have ready — not just news, but material you can actually use in the exam.
What’s actually happening
This isn’t Meta’s first legal trouble over this issue, and it won’t be the last. In March 2026, a jury in an earlier, related case found Meta and Google liable for the mental health harms of a 20-year-old plaintiff who had used YouTube from age six and Instagram from age eleven — the first jury verdict of its kind, awarding $6 million in damages. Lawyers in that case argued that features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and constant notifications were built like a “digital casino,” designed to exploit still-developing brains. That verdict is one reason roughly 2,000 similar lawsuits are now waiting in line behind this one.
The August trial goes further. State lawyers argue Meta studied how dopamine — the brain chemical linked to reward and craving — affects teenagers, and internally concluded, in the state’s own words, that “this presents opportunities for us.” A former Meta safety engineer turned whistleblower, Arturo Bejar, has testified that the company ran on a “move fast and break things” culture with what he called a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to protecting underage users. Meta denies designing its products to harm anyone and says it has built extensive safety tools for teens. The trial is expected to run for six weeks, with Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram’s head due to testify.
The vocabulary: tech, addiction, and mental health
These words show up constantly in real reporting on this story — useful for IELTS Speaking and Writing whenever technology or health topics come up. Addictive design (adj. phrase) — a product built on purpose to be hard to stop using: “Critics say the app’s addictive design keeps users scrolling far longer than they intend to.” Screen time (n.) — the amount of time someone spends looking at a phone, tablet, or computer: “Doctors are increasingly worried about the effect of screen time on teenagers’ sleep.” Dopamine (n.) — a brain chemical connected to pleasure and reward, often mentioned when discussing why apps feel compelling: “Every notification triggers a small dopamine hit.” Mental health crisis (n. phrase) — a widespread, serious decline in people’s psychological wellbeing: “Researchers have linked rising rates of teenage anxiety to what they call a youth mental health crisis.” Whistleblower (n.) — someone who exposes wrongdoing inside an organisation they work for: “A former employee turned whistleblower gave evidence about internal company documents.”
The vocabulary: law and accountability
Litigation (n.) — the general process of taking legal action through the courts: “The company is facing litigation in several states at once.” Landmark trial (n. phrase) — a case seen as historically important because it could set a precedent for future cases: “Legal experts are calling this a landmark trial, similar to the tobacco lawsuits of the 1990s.” Liable (adj.) — legally responsible for causing harm: “The jury found the company liable for the plaintiff’s injuries.” Civil penalties (n. phrase) — financial punishments ordered by a court, separate from criminal punishment: “The states are seeking civil penalties that could total billions of dollars.” Hold [someone] accountable (phrase) — to make sure a person or organisation faces real consequences for their actions: “Parents outside the courthouse said they simply want the company held accountable.” Regulate (v.) — for a government to control an industry through rules and law: “There’s an ongoing debate over how strictly governments should regulate large technology companies.”
IELTS Speaking Part 3: a model answer using this vocabulary
A very common Part 3 question on this theme: “Do you think technology companies should be more strictly regulated by law?” Here’s how a Band 7+ answer might sound, using the vocabulary above naturally rather than memorised: “Honestly, I think some regulation is overdue. There’s growing evidence that certain apps use addictive design almost deliberately — features like infinite scrolling seem built to keep people online far longer than they’d choose to be. We’re now seeing landmark trials in the US where courts are asking whether tech companies should be held accountable for the effect of their products on young people’s mental health. Personally, I don’t think we can just trust companies to regulate themselves when the evidence suggests they knew about the risks and didn’t act. That said, I’d want any new law to be carefully written, so it protects users without accidentally shutting down genuinely useful technology.” Notice the structure: a direct opinion, a specific real-world example, a second layer of reasoning, then a balanced final point — exactly the shape examiners are listening for.
Turn today’s news into exam-ready fluency
Real, current topics like this one come up constantly in IELTS Speaking Part 3 — technology, health, and the law are three of the most frequently tested themes. Find out exactly where your speaking currently stands with a free, honest diagnostic. Take the free IELTS Speaking test
FAQ
Why would an IELTS examiner care about a lawsuit against Meta?
They wouldn’t care about the lawsuit itself — but Part 3 questions constantly touch on technology, its effect on health, and how it should be regulated by law, and having real, specific, current knowledge to draw on (rather than vague opinions) is exactly what separates a Band 6 answer from a Band 7+ one.
Is it safe to mention a real company by name in the Speaking test?
Yes — examiners aren’t grading your opinion of Meta, they’re grading your English. Using a real, specific example instead of a vague generalisation (“some apps”, “technology in general”) shows range and the ability to develop an idea in detail, which is genuinely rewarded at higher bands.
What’s the difference between ‘liable’ and ‘guilty’?
‘Guilty’ is used in criminal law, where someone is punished for a crime. ‘Liable’ is used in civil law (like this case) and means legally responsible for causing harm or loss — the consequence is usually a financial penalty, not prison.
How can I keep up with real, current-events vocabulary like this for the exam?
Following genuinely current stories — not staged practice topics — the way this article does is one of the most effective habits going into the exam, because it gives you real, specific, well-structured examples to draw on instead of generic ones every other candidate uses.