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The trial pitting twenty-nine US states against Meta opened on 18 August 2026 in Oakland, California, before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. State attorneys general accuse the company of designing Facebook and Instagram to hold minors' attention and of misleading the public about the effects of its platforms on teenagers' mental health. Meta rejects the accusations. Proceedings are expected to run six to eight weeks and to include testimony from Mark Zuckerberg; the outcome could weigh on social media regulation well beyond the United States.
The French press reports $200 billion in damages sought, the British press up to $1.4 trillion.
An Instagram document cited in court describes teenagers speaking "like an addict" about their use.
Meta was found liable in Los Angeles and New Mexico, and has appealed both decisions.
Canberra was at the same time weighing a 2.5% levy on platforms' digital advertising.
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