Meta Platforms is facing a lawsuit from four states – California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey – over accusations that the company designed its Facebook and Instagram platforms to addict young users and misled the public about their safety.
Accusations and Penalties
The states are seeking $1.4 trillion in penalties, which Meta says is unsupported by the evidence. A court filing by Meta revealed the figure, which is close to the company’s market capitalization of around $1.5 trillion.
The trial is set to take place in August in Oakland, California, and will address claims brought under the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, as well as state laws protecting consumers. Meta has denied the allegations, stating that the attorneys general have no evidence that the company misled consumers about its platforms’ alleged addictiveness.
The case is part of a larger trend of states suing tech companies over their impact on young users. Twenty-nine states have sued Meta in federal court, with most alleging that the company violated the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting data from children without proper parental consent.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
