States Seek $1.4 Trillion From Meta in Youth Safety Trial

Meta revealed in a Monday court filing that four US states are seeking $1.4 trillion in penalties over claims the company designed Facebook and Instagram to addict young users while misleading the public about platform safety. The figure, disclosed for the first time, comes close to Meta’s roughly $1.5 trillion market capitalization and precedes an August trial in Oakland, California.

Meta Calls the Number Unsupported

The company argued the penalty figure has no precedent in consumer protection enforcement history and said the evidence does not support it. States calculated the amount by multiplying alleged violations by fines set under state law, based on estimates of affected teen and young users.

Case Covers Federal and State Claims

Twenty nine states have sued Meta in federal court, mostly alleging violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The August trial before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will address those federal claims along with state level allegations from California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey regarding misleading safety claims. Meta has denied wrongdoing, arguing social media addiction isn’t a recognized psychiatric condition.

Judge Allows Trial to Proceed

Rogers rejected Meta’s request to cancel the trial last month, citing unresolved factual disputes over whether the platforms were designed to be addictive and whether they targeted children. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Meta prioritized profits over children’s safety.

Wider Legal Pressure Across Platforms

Meta, Snapchat, YouTube, and TikTok all face thousands of lawsuits over similar claims. New Mexico became the first state to reach trial, with a jury awarding $375 million in March after finding Meta misled consumers there.