States seek billions in damages from Meta over child addiction claims

A jury in California has found that Meta broke consumer protection laws by designing its apps to hook children. The trial, which started in 2024, was brought by four US states: California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey. They argued that features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and the "like" button were built to keep young users engaged for as long as possible. The states also said Meta let children under 13 use its platforms and collected their personal data without asking parents. This broke a federal law called COPPA. The jury found thousands of violations and ordered Meta to pay $375 million. The states had originally asked for around $1.4 trillion in penalties. Meta denies wrongdoing and says it has taken steps to protect young users.