Meta is facing a potential $1.4 trillion (£1.05 trillion) penalty in a youth safety lawsuit accusing the company of deliberately designing Facebook and Instagram to keep teenagers engaged. The figure, nearly as large as Meta's own market value, has been set out by four US states that have escalated a federal case over alleged harms to young users.
The lawsuit, led by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, alleges that Meta's design features and safety claims contributed to harm among minors, including anxiety, depression and self-harm. The states say those practices violated consumer protection laws and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), turning a platform-safety dispute into a major legal test for the company.
