29 US states sue Meta over child safety, seeking $200 billion in damages

A landmark federal trial has opened with 29 states accusing Meta of deliberately designing addictive platforms that harm children.

Twenty-nine US states have launched what may be the largest consumer protection case ever brought against a social media company, accusing Meta of knowingly engineering Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children and teenagers while concealing internal research showing the harm. California is leading the coalition, which is seeking damages that could reach $200 billion. The states allege Meta followed a four-part strategy they describe as 'hook, hold, harvest, and hide' — attracting young users, keeping them engaged through algorithmic design, collecting their data, and suppressing internal findings about the platforms' psychological effects on minors. Attorneys general claim the company violated children's privacy laws while being fully aware its products were causing harm. A key moment in the trial's first week came when Arturo Béjar, a former Meta safety engineer, testified that CEO Mark Zuckerberg had misled the public about the company's commitment to child safety. Béjar told the jury that Meta had internal data documenting its products' potential to harm young people but did not act on it. Separately, a report by the Tech Transparency Project found Meta has paid social media influencers to promote its Teen Accounts safety features whenever governments begin considering platform regulations — a practice critics say is part of a broader pattern of managing public perception rather than addressing underlying harms. New Mexico's attorney general, Raúl Torrez, who secured a reported $900 million settlement against Meta in a separate state case, is now drafting two new bills with state lawmakers to strengthen online child safety laws.

Why it matters

The case could set a legal precedent for how social media companies are held liable for harm to minors and, if the states prevail, result in the largest damages ever imposed on a tech platform. The outcome may reshape how platforms are designed and regulated for young users across the United States.

What's next

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is drafting two new state bills to expand consumer protections and child safety online, while the federal trial continues with additional witness testimony expected.

Key facts

• Twenty-nine US states are plaintiffs; California is leading the case against Meta
• Damages sought could reach $200 billion, making it one of the largest consumer protection cases in US history
• Former Meta safety engineer Arturo Béjar testified that Zuckerberg lied about the company's concern for child safety
• States allege Meta used a 'hook, hold, harvest, and hide' strategy targeting children
• New Mexico separately secured a reported $900 million settlement from Meta and is now drafting new child safety legislation
• The Tech Transparency Project found Meta pays influencers to promote its Teen Accounts safety features when regulations are being considered

Bias & framing notes

All six substantive sources are from The Guardian, which introduces a single-outlet framing risk. Coverage is heavily weighted toward the states' allegations and witness testimony critical of Meta, with minimal representation of Meta's legal defense or its own characterization of its safety efforts. The company's stated rationale must be inferred largely from its public-facing products and influencer campaigns rather than direct quotes from its defense team, which are absent from the reporting.

NewsClear — neutral news & congressional tracking · Bill of the Week