Landmark Lawsuit Against Meta Begins in the US: Potential Fines Could Reach $1.4 Trillion

According to the plaintiffs, platforms like Facebook and Instagram were intentionally engineered with psychological triggers to maximize screen time and boost ad revenues. In court, plaintiffs' attorney Megan O’Neal characterized Meta’s business model as "hook the user, hold them as long as possible, harvest their data, and hide the truth," arguing that the company generates immense profits by trapping young users.

Furthermore, the suit alleges that the tech giant misled consumers about platform safety and violated federal child data privacy laws. With statutory penalties reaching up to $20,000 per violation, Meta's internal projections indicate that an adverse ruling could incur total fines of up to $1.4 trillion—an amount nearly equivalent to the company's entire market capitalization.

Meta's legal team rejected the allegations, asserting that state attorneys general have failed to produce concrete evidence of consumer deception and are attempting to extract "exorbitant payouts." The trial, expected to last approximately five weeks, comes amid growing global scrutiny and regulatory debate surrounding the impact of social media on youth mental health.