A major trial began on Tuesday in Oakland, California, in which 29 US states accuse Meta of deliberately designing Facebook and Instagram to be addictive, with features aimed at hooking young users in particular. The case follows earlier rulings against the company, including a bellwether verdict in Los Angeles and a $942m settlement in New Mexico over child safety failings, and could reshape how social media platforms are allowed to operate if the states succeed.

The attorneys general are seeking $200bn in damages, roughly equivalent to Meta's annual revenue, while Meta itself has suggested a ruling against it could cost as much as $1.4tn, a figure the judge has dismissed as "unreasonable". At the heart of the case is Meta's recommender algorithm, which critics say manipulates dopamine responses to maximise engagement by surfacing emotionally provocative content; analysts suggest that forced changes to this system, rather than the damages themselves, pose the greatest long-term threat to Meta's advertising-driven business model.