Oakland Youth-Safety Suit Led by Four States

Four states—California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey—filed a federal suit in Oakland against Meta over Facebook and Instagram, alleging the platforms are engineered to addict minors and harvest data in violation of COPPA. The plaintiffs seek penalties ranging from about $200 billion to $1.4 trillion and demand product redesigns as restitution. Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri are expected to testify as the trial unfolds. Opening statements and outside protests highlighted alleged harms to youth mental health and, in some cases, deaths linked to social media exposure. Meta contends it has safety features in place and disputes the core claims. The case is viewed as a bellwether for hundreds of similar suits and as part of broader regulatory scrutiny of tech platforms.