United Kingdom, Aug. 17 -- Meta is facing its biggest legal challenge yet over how Instagram and Facebook are designed for children and teenagers, with a trial beginning on Tuesday (18.08.26) that could force major changes to the platforms.

The case was brought in 2023 by attorneys general from 29 US states.

It accuses Meta of illegally collecting children's data and deliberately designing its platforms to keep young users hooked.

Four states, California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, are leading the trial.

Meta has warned that potential damages could reach $1.4 trillion (£1 trillion), although the states have not publicly disclosed a figure and legal experts say an award of that scale is unlikely.

The states are also seeki...