Meta faces trial from 29 states that could reshape Instagram and Facebook

Twenty-nine US states just hauled Meta into federal court in Oakland, California, arguing that Instagram and Facebook were engineered to hook kids and harm their mental health. The trial, expected to run about seven weeks, could force fundamental changes to how two of the world’s largest social platforms operate. The potential price tag for Meta? States initially floated damages as high as $1.4 trillion, though more recent discussions among attorneys general have centered around $200 billion. What the states are actually arguing The lawsuit, led by attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, rests on a core claim: Meta knew its platforms were damaging young users and chose profits over safety. The states allege the company deliberately designed addictive features, misled the public about platform safety, and improperly collected children’s data in violation of federal law. The states want specific remedies that would fundamentally alter the Instagram and Facebook experience. They’re pushing to eliminate infinite scroll, remove like counts, impose stricter age restrictions, and strip out algorithms trained on children’s data. The case traces back to a mult...