Meta Says US States Seek $1.4 Trillion In Penalties In August's Youth Safety Trial (yahoo.com)
(Saturday July 11, 2026 @11:34AM (EditorDavid)
from the everything's-fined dept.)
- Reference: 0184401866
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/07/11/0614250/meta-says-us-states-seek-14-trillion-in-penalties-in-augusts-youth-safety-trial
- Source link: https://finance.yahoo.com/media-advertising/articles/meta-says-us-states-are-seeking-14-trillion-in-penalties-in-august-youth-safety-trial-034217946.html
Meta "said in a court filing on Monday that four states were seeking $1.4 trillion in penalties," [1]reports Reuters , "over accusations the company designed its Facebook and Instagram platforms to addict young users and misled the public about their safety."
> Meta put forward the figure in its response to the attorneys general's filings on how penalties should be calculated if the states prevailed at trial. The number, which has not previously been disclosed and is close to Meta's market capitalization of around $1.5 trillion, comes ahead of an August trial in Oakland, California, over the claims brought by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey against the company. Meta said the amount was unsupported by the evidence. "A sanction of that size has no analog in the history of consumer protection enforcement," the company said in the filing. "The plaintiffs' outlandish calculations have no basis in fact or law," the company said in a statement, adding that it would continue to defend itself against the states' demands.
>
> A spokesperson for California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement the lawsuit "alleges Meta has prioritized profits over the safety of kids and fueled the mental health crisis we see impacting a generation of American children. The California Department of Justice looks forward to holding Meta fully accountable at trial in August...."
>
> Meta has denied the allegations, saying the attorneys general have no evidence it misled consumers about its platforms' alleged addictiveness because "social media addiction" is not an established psychiatric condition, and therefore statements that its platforms were not addictive could not be false... Last month, [U.S. District Judge] Rogers [2]rejected Meta's bid to cancel the trial, saying there remained factual disputes over whether its social media platforms were addictive, whether Meta falsely denied it designed them that way, and whether it "partially" directed the platforms at children.
"A further 14 states have brought claims under their own laws, which will be heard at a separate trial in February..."
Thanks to Slashdot reader [3]Sparkatron for sharing the article.
[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/media-advertising/articles/meta-says-us-states-are-seeking-14-trillion-in-penalties-in-august-youth-safety-trial-034217946.html
[2] https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/meta-loses-bid-dismiss-us-states-claims-that-facebook-instagram-addict-children-2026-06-30/
[3] https://slashdot.org/~Sparkatron
> Meta put forward the figure in its response to the attorneys general's filings on how penalties should be calculated if the states prevailed at trial. The number, which has not previously been disclosed and is close to Meta's market capitalization of around $1.5 trillion, comes ahead of an August trial in Oakland, California, over the claims brought by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey against the company. Meta said the amount was unsupported by the evidence. "A sanction of that size has no analog in the history of consumer protection enforcement," the company said in the filing. "The plaintiffs' outlandish calculations have no basis in fact or law," the company said in a statement, adding that it would continue to defend itself against the states' demands.
>
> A spokesperson for California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement the lawsuit "alleges Meta has prioritized profits over the safety of kids and fueled the mental health crisis we see impacting a generation of American children. The California Department of Justice looks forward to holding Meta fully accountable at trial in August...."
>
> Meta has denied the allegations, saying the attorneys general have no evidence it misled consumers about its platforms' alleged addictiveness because "social media addiction" is not an established psychiatric condition, and therefore statements that its platforms were not addictive could not be false... Last month, [U.S. District Judge] Rogers [2]rejected Meta's bid to cancel the trial, saying there remained factual disputes over whether its social media platforms were addictive, whether Meta falsely denied it designed them that way, and whether it "partially" directed the platforms at children.
"A further 14 states have brought claims under their own laws, which will be heard at a separate trial in February..."
Thanks to Slashdot reader [3]Sparkatron for sharing the article.
[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/media-advertising/articles/meta-says-us-states-are-seeking-14-trillion-in-penalties-in-august-youth-safety-trial-034217946.html
[2] https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/meta-loses-bid-dismiss-us-states-claims-that-facebook-instagram-addict-children-2026-06-30/
[3] https://slashdot.org/~Sparkatron
bjoo hjoo (Score:1)
by Black Parrot ( 19622 )
I'm having a bit of trouble working up any sympathy, as the saying goes.
Wrong but right (Score:1)
by kamapuaa ( 555446 )
While I’d have no real problem with meta being banned for those under 18, or just their business model somehow made illegal
They weren’t selling drugs. They weren’t killing opponents. Making a product so good that people find themselves addicted to it isn’t something you get fined $1.4 trillion for.
Re: (Score:2)
by JoeyRox ( 2711699 )
Making a product so good that people find themselves addicted to it isn't something you get fined $1.4 trillion for.
Sure, just like how people become addicted to meth because it's so good on merit alone.
Unprecedented (Score:2)
"A sanction of that size has no analog in the history of consumer protection enforcement,"
The incredible harms done worldwide by Meta's business model also have no analog in the history of shitty company behavior. Next up: Go after their copycats like TikTok and other toxic social media platforms.
Re: (Score:2)
They do though.
The whole basis of the case was similar to tobacco, that's the simplest.
Monsanto wasn't gutted nearly this hard.
Plenty of people would argue fossil fuel companies have done at least as much damage, and known it, and they've been arguing it for decades.
Hell, Coca Cola has arguably done as much damage globally, and has also been caught knowing it. There was this scandal about five years ago when Coca Cola got caught funding dicey research minimizing how much ultra calorie dense things like Coke