Social media on trial as $200bn case against Facebook and Instagram begins

<p>Twenty-nine US states are seeking huge damages, claiming Meta’s platforms were addictive by design</p><p>In 1994, more than 40 US states came together to sue one of the most powerful industries on Earth: big tobacco.</p><p>The suits brought together diverse claims centred on tobacco companies’ misleading advertising and contribution to a mounting public health crisis. They ended in a negotiated settlement with the US government, in which the companies agreed to pay more than any industry ever, and the states agreed to drop a large portion of their claims.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/18/meta-facebook-instagram-trial">Continue reading...</a>