Meta weighs settlement in 29-state teen addiction trial

Meta Platforms and a bipartisan group of 29 state attorneys general have held talks on a possible mid-trial settlement in a federal case over whether Facebook and Instagram were built to hook teenage users. The trial is in its second week in Oakland, California, where the states are seeking heavy financial penalties and court-ordered changes to how the platforms operate. Four states — California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey — are leading claims that Meta used features that encouraged compulsive use while misleading consumers about safety tools. The broader case also alleges illegal collection of data from children under 13 under federal privacy law. Meta denies the claims and argues the proposed remedies and damages are excessive.