Meta Faces Kids' Harms Trial
States are taking Meta to trial over claims its platforms harmed children.
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Updated Aug 17, 5:42pm ETBoth sides, every morning
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Opening arguments begin Tuesday in a federal trial in California in which state attorneys general, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, accuse Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram to foster addictive use among children and teens. The case is the most consequential of thousands of child-safety lawsuits facing Meta because the states are seeking financial penalties and court-ordered changes to its platforms. Meta says the damages theory could reach $1.4 trillion and denies that its products unlawfully harm young users. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is separately drafting online child-safety and consumer-protection bills after a $900 million court victory over Meta.
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