Meta stares down trillion-dollar threat as landmark social media trial begins

Meta Platforms is headed to court Tuesday for a high-stakes showdown with a coalition of state attorneys general over claims that the company deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to encourage compulsive use among young users. In a case that carries enormous risk for one of the world’s most valuable tech companies, the top legal officers of 29 states are seeking not only massive financial penalties, but also court orders that could force Meta to change how it operates its platforms. The jury trial in federal court in Oakland, California, comes as social media companies are facing a global backlash over concerns that they profit at the expense of young users, for whom a growing body of research shows that heavy use of the algorithm-driven platforms can be dangerously unhealthy.