Meta · Bangkok Post
Meta meets its own 'tobacco' moment in court
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OAKLAND (UNITED STATES) - With billions of users around the world, Meta has prepared to defend itself against allegations of harming children in a new trial in the United States this week, which experts describe as social media's big tobacco moment.
Key facts
- After a coalition of states sued Meta in 2023 for allegedly designing addictive features for kids in its apps, four states were selected to represent their claims: California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey.
- OAKLAND (UNITED STATES) - With billions of users around the world, Meta has prepared to defend itself against allegations of harming children in a new trial in the United States this week, which experts describe as social media's big
- Meta was convicted on similar grounds in separate trials held in Los Angeles and New Mexico, with combined damages that approach USD$1 billion (33.09 billion baht).
- In Oakland, the states are demanding a long list of changes to Meta's apps, in addition to financial penalties as high as $1.4 trillion, close to Meta's entire market value which hovers around $1.5 trillion.
- In May, Snap, TikTok, YouTube and Meta settled with a school district in Kentucky for $27 million to avoid another trial that was expected to set a precedent for around 1,200 similar lawsuits.
Summary
After a coalition of states sued Meta in 2023 for allegedly designing addictive features for kids in its apps, four states were selected to represent their claims: California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey.
Top prosecutors of those states now aim to prove in federal court that Meta deliberately made Facebook and Instagram addictive for children.