Meta faces California trial over kids addiction claims, $1.4T exposure
Meta, the company behind Instagram and Facebook, is heading to a major trial in California this week.
The big issue? States say these apps were designed to keep kids hooked, and the case could expose Meta to damages as high as $1.4 trillion, almost as much as Meta is worth.
Meta denies allegations, prosecutors seek restrictions
The trial will dig into claims from several states that Meta put engagement above child safety and wasn't upfront about the risks for young users.
On top of that, 29 states say Meta broke federal law by collecting kids' data without proper consent.
Meta strongly disagrees with the allegations, saying evidence would show a longstanding commitment to support youngsters on the platform, but prosecutors want stricter age restrictions and features like endless scrolling removed.
As New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport put it, "Meta knows its platforms are harming children and teens but continues to keep kids addicted, as we've alleged in our lawsuit. Our kids are not data points to be monetised."