Meta might be on the hook for $1.4 trillion if it loses a landmark lawsuit and that would truly mark the end of social media as we know it

One trillion dollar bills could wrap around the Earth almost three times, which means the $1.4T in fines Meta could face if it loses the huge, multi-state lawsuit arguing that the company's social media and the technology behind it encouraged addictive use in teens is more than enough financial rope to potentially squeeze it into submission or worse.

Opening arguments in the case kick off tomorrow (August 18), with Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri expected to testify.

The suit [PDF], which is in some ways the culmination of numerous cases against Meta and its alleged practices, comes on the heels of multiple legal setbacks for Meta.

In March, Meta lost a case in LA Superior Court and was, along with YouTube, found negligent in causing a 20-year-old's mental health issues.

That ruling came a day after Meta lost a similar case in New Mexico .

Just a few weeks ago, the company was ordered to pay almost half a billion dollars after Meta's platforms were found to be, at least according to New Mexico law, a public nuisance.

This latest case, though, might not only change the face of social media but also seriously hamper Meta's ability to function.

As in other cases, AGs across 32 US states argue that Meta has used its technology to hook teens (and younger), lock them into using the platforms, and then, it argues, ignored the potential harms.

Here's how the lawsuit puts it: "Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens.

Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains," and "it has ignored the sweeping damage these Platforms have caused to the mental and physical health of our nation’s youth.

In doing so, Meta engaged in, and continues to engage in, deceptive and unlawful conduct in violation of state and federal law." Meta, which has spent the last few years updating its parental controls across all its platforms and marketing those changes to the public, calls the AGs' claims "unsubstantiated" and the potential penalties "vastly disproportionate." It then adds: "The AGs offer no proof anyone in their states was misled, claim benign features like having an additional Instagram account somehow harmed their residents, and attempt to penalize Meta for industry-wide challenges like age verification.

Rather than sticking to the facts or the law, the states have instead decided to chase an outlandish payout.

We stand by our record of creating strong protections for teens, and look forward to making our case in court." So there you have, in a nutshell, the two sides, but while Meta is putting on a strong front, I don't imagine Zuckerberg and Mosseri will enter the courtroom feeling particularly confident about their chances.