29 States sue Meta: A landmark case that could reshape Facebook and Instagram worldwide

In an Oakland trial that could last about six weeks, 29 U.S. states accuse Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram to exploit teens’ vulnerabilities—including addictive features like infinite scroll and push alerts—while allegedly concealing internal research on depression and self-harm. The suit, which also cites COPPA violations and consumer-protection breaches, warns that damages could reach hundreds of billions and a court order could require platform redesigns beyond the United States, highlighting a move toward a global digital-duty-of-care standard that other countries may follow.