Meta is preparing for a high-stakes courtroom showdown that may have far-reaching consequences for the social media giant. The case centres on a lawsuit filed by four US states, which claim that the company deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive for younger users while minimising concerns over their safety.
According to a recent court filing, Meta could face penalties of up to $1.4T if the states win the case. The staggering sum is almost equal to the company's market value, making it one of the biggest potential consumer-protection sanctions in US history. The tech company argued that the proposed penalty is excessive, stating that 'a sanction of that size has no analogue in the history of consumer protection enforcement.'
