States take Meta to trial in California in the biggest fight yet over social media harms to children

Of the many lawsuits Meta faces over child safety, this week's California trial may be the most consequential. A bipartisan group of 29 states led by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey allege Meta knowingly designed addictive features that harm youth mental health and collected data on kids under 13 without parental consent, in violation of federal law. The trial beginning Tuesday in Oakland federal court marks the first time a case with multiple states has reached trial in the sprawling litigation, with 25 other states waiting their turn. Potential damages could theoretically reach $1.4 trillion - nearly Meta's entire market cap - though experts like Cornell's James Grimmelmann say an award that size is implausible and would bankrupt the company. Meta denies the allegations, pointing to safety features like default-private teen accounts and parental controls, and calls the potential penalty 'untethered to any claimed violation.'