The long legal reckoning over social media and childhood is about to have its biggest day in court. It is essentially the same claim that has already produced a $567m order against Meta in New Mexico, only now brought by nearly 30 states at once. What sets this trial apart is the sheer size of the number attached to it. The states reach it by stacking statutory penalties for consumer-protection and privacy breaches, an approach Meta says absurdly counts the same teenagers many times over. In Reuters/Ipsos polling, 85% of Americans said social media can be addictive for children and 61% wanted stricter oversight of the companies, sentiment that has only hardened since Frances Haugen’s 2021 disclosures.