New Delhi, Aug. 19 -- IN EARLY October a sequel to "The Social Network", a film about Mark Zuckerberg's founding of Facebook, is scheduled for release. Called "The Social Reckoning", it will dramatise the role of whistle-blowers in the early 2020s who alleged that the social-media giant hid that its products were harmful. Those who cannot wait until then can follow a no less vivid drama involving Facebook, Instagram and their parent company, Meta, in a federal courtroom in Oakland, California. Oral arguments started on August 18th. Reckoning or not, the trial could be a blockbuster.

California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are leading a group of 29 states that are suing Meta over allegations that its platforms developed features to ...