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Zuckerberg Rips Damages Sought In Social Media Lawsuit By California, Others
Deadline • • business
Key Points:
- Meta faces a multi-plaintiff lawsuit led by California and three other states accusing the company of deceptive data practices and unfair trade, potentially resulting in damages up to $1.4 trillion—nearly equal to Meta’s entire net worth.
- Meta’s legal team argues the $1.4 trillion figure is inflated and unprecedented in consumer protection cases, urging the court to dismiss most of the states’ demands as baseless.
- The lawsuit is part of a broader wave of over 2,000 similar cases against social media companies alleging violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), with Meta, Snap, and TikTok as primary targets.
- Meta maintains its products are safe, placing responsibility for underage use on parents, and criticizes the lawsuit as politically motivated and detached from reality, while California’s attorney general insists the company prioritized profits over child safety.
- Amid legal pressures, Meta’s stock has declined nearly 9% in 2026, and state attorneys general are reportedly preparing additional legal actions targeting major media acquisitions, signaling ongoing regulatory challenges for tech giants.
