“That figure is the construct of lawyers, assembled by mixing and matching data from disparate sources to manufacture the largest possible sum, and by counting the same individuals many times over.”
Meta is pushing back against a massive damages request from several state attorneys general, arguing that a potential $1.4 trillion penalty in a lawsuit over alleged social media harms is legally unsupported and unprecedented.
The company’s attorneys filed documents this week asking US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to reject most of the penalty, calling the proposed figure the result of calculations designed to create the largest possible amount.
“The AGs ask this Court to make Meta pay over one trillion dollars,” Meta’s filing stated. “That figure is the construct of lawyers, assembled by mixing and matching data from disparate sources to manufacture the largest possible sum, and by counting the same individuals many times over,” the filing continued.
The lawsuit was brought by state officials from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, who alleged that Meta engaged in deceptive practices involving user data and social media features. The states argue the company’s actions amount to “unfair or unconscionable trade practices.”
The attorneys general are seeking damages that could reach $1.4 trillion, an amount close to Meta’s total market valuation.
Meta argued that no previous consumer protection case has resulted in a penalty anywhere near that size.
“The AGs cannot identify any UPA or COPPA case imposing penalties approaching that amount. Meta has not found any case, under any cause of action, where one defendant was ordered to pay over one trillion dollars—or any number remotely close to that staggering figure.”
A Meta spokesperson also criticized the claims, saying the company plans to continue fighting the allegations.
“The plaintiffs’ outlandish calculations have no basis in fact or law,” a Meta spokesperson told Deadline after the filings by their lawyers this week. “We’ll continue to defend ourselves against headline-seeking demands that are untethered from reality.”
The case is part of a larger wave of litigation involving social media companies. 29 states have accused Meta, Snap and TikTok of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act through their data collection practices.
California officials defended their lawsuit, saying the company should be held responsible for alleged harms affecting children.
“Our lawsuit alleges Meta has prioritized profits over the safety of kids and fueled the mental health crisis we see impacting a generation of American children,” a spokesperson for California’s top lawman told Deadline. “The California Department of Justice looks forward to holding Meta fully accountable at trial in August. Beyond this, we have no other updates at this time.”
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