Meta - the operator of social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram - and its boss Mark Zuckerberg are facing their biggest trial yet, with the tech giant being sued for the value of the company: $1.4 trillion.
The trial, in Oakland, California, stems from a lawsuit filed in 2023 by 29 American states accusing Meta of being responsible for alleged social media harms to young people.
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As the lawyers for California told the jury: Meta's entire business model was to hook the users, hold them as long as they can, harvest their data and then hide the truth from the public. If found guilty the company will not just face a potentially crippling fine it may also be required to change the way it uses social media.
It has been described as big social media's big tobacco moment. The reckoning in the courts comes at a time when the backlash against AI is also gathering steam.
Meta is accused of designing psychologically manipulative features, designed to lure young people in and then maximise their time on the apps. Zuckerberg's company is ultimately accused of contributing to the US mental health crisis. Meta denies all allegations.
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