Rob Bonta stood in front of cameras and said his case against Meta is about restitution and distortion, not damages. Which is a fascinating way to describe a lawsuit that will definitely involve paying lawyers six hundred dollars an hour to argue about numbers.
Restitution means giving money back. Damages means taking money away. The distinction here is so razor-thin it requires a philosophy degree from Berkeley to pretend it matters.
Bonta wants everyone to know this isn't about extracting a massive payout from Meta. It's about something more noble. Something pure. Something that will definitely be measured in dollars and argued over by people wearing ties that cost more than your monthly rent.
Meta presumably sat through opening arguments wondering if they should feel relieved or insulted. "Good news team, they're not going after damages. Bad news, they invented a new word for the same thing."
The retail trader watching this unfold from his studio apartment in Fresno is probably calculating how many META shares he can buy on margin before the verdict. He's read three headlines about this case and considers himself an expert on antitrust law. He will lose money regardless of the outcome because that's what he does.
Bonta's messaging strategy here is remarkable. Step into court. Sue a tech company worth hundreds of billions. Clarify that you're not really interested in their hundreds of billions. Just the restitution part. And the distortion part. Which again, will be quantified in dollars, argued about by expensive people, and ultimately resolved through monetary transfer.
This is like walking into a steakhouse and announcing you're not here for dinner, just the eating and chewing parts.
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