As California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta technically represents the interests of just one state. But over the past year, his profile has risen significantly as he leads some of the business world’s biggest legal battles, with the potential to change the way people across the country consume information, news and entertainment.
Last month, Bonta helped broker a landmark $18 billion settlement with Meta, leading dozens of state attorneys general in a lawsuit alleging that the tech giant’s platforms had harmed the mental health of young people. Now, he’s pushing for broader changes to the social media industry, warning TikTok and Google’s YouTube that a coalition of states could take action against them if they don’t agree to security updates. At the same time, Bonta is leading efforts to block Paramount from buying Warner Bros. Discovery, a merger that aims to reshape Hollywood and the TV news business.
Taking on big tech companies and Hollywood, Bonta has challenged California’s most important industries and powerful corporate executives, some of whom have sought support from the Trump administration. But for Bonta, these cases have highlighted the day-to-day work of the California Attorney General’s office, which has more than 5,000 employees.
California’s attorney general, who has said his career was inspired by fictional hero Atticus Finch, has a history of tough battles. That includes 87 lawsuits against the Trump administration that, according to Bonta’s office, have protected more than $200 billion in state funds. Hardly a day goes by without an announcement or two from Bonta’s office. One day last month, the announcement was about human trafficking arrests. The next day, it was about protecting public lands. The day after that, it was about opposing a federal rule restricting mail-in voting.
“As the Justice Department of the largest state in the country, we have a unique opportunity to cover a wide range of issues,” Bonta said in a statement to CNN. “Whether it’s public safety, the environment, reproductive health, housing and antitrust laws, or confronting the rising cost of living and protecting democracy and the fundamental right to vote, we are addressing issues that have a fundamental impact on how Californians live their lives,” he added. Bonta will seek re-election this fall, but his work as attorney general could also serve as a stepping stone to higher office. Several California attorneys general have gone on to serve as governors. For Kamala Harris, the job was part of the path that led her to the vice presidency of the United States.
Bonta has repeatedly considered running for governor of California himself, but dropped out of the race due to the large number of candidates this year. His high-profile cases against Trump and big business have made him a regular on cable television, exposing him to new voters and donors (wealthy individuals who give money to political campaigns or politicians), but also prompting criticism that he is motivated by politics and publicity. “Ultimately, the decision to take legal action is political, and the attorney general is trying to signal to voters that he is listening to them and representing their interests,” said Eric Goldman, a law professor at Santa Clara University School of Law.
A RISING STAR IN CALIFORNIA POLITICS
Bonta, 53, was born in the Philippines to Christian missionary parents and immigrated to California as a baby. His parents worked for the United Farm Workers union when Bonta was a child. Bonta graduated from high school as the top student, before earning his undergraduate and law degrees at Yale University, where he also played on the football team. Before being appointed attorney general in 2021, he was a member of the California Assembly and deputy city attorney in San Francisco. During his time in the California Assembly, Bonta worked to reform the prison bail system, a politically risky initiative due to a lack of interest from wealthy donors and strong opposition from the bail industry.
“He didn’t back down,” recalled Robert Hertzberg, who was majority leader in the California State Senate from 2019 to 2022 and worked with Bonta on this legislation.
In 2022, Bonta was elected to a full term as California’s attorney general. And the day his friend Harris lost the presidential election, the rest of his term became clear: he would be, as one of the state’s leading journalists wrote, “the face of California’s legal resistance” to President Donald Trump. The day after Trump’s victory in the 2024 election was announced, Bonta held a press conference in front of the Golden Gate Bridge and said, “You can be sure that, as California’s attorney general, if Trump attacks your rights, I will be there. If Trump attacks your freedoms, I will be there.”
On Trump’s first full day in office, in January 2025, Bonta and other Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging Trump’s executive order that sought to end automatic citizenship for people born in the U.S. The Supreme Court struck down Trump’s order in June 2026.
THE AGREEMENT WITH “METHANE”
About 10 days after the start of the trial between Meta and four states, including California, and just before Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri was set to return to the witness stand, the company agreed to the settlement. The agreement, which Bonta called “transformative,” includes sweeping changes to the protections for teens on Meta’s platforms.
“Meta was lying to parents, not giving parents the information they needed to take steps to protect their children, and we have brought the truth to light,” Bonta told CNN. Meta pleaded not guilty as part of the settlement, and the $18 billion is just a small fraction of the $200 billion the company won last year. However, the agreement could lead to broader changes in the industry, as Meta said it would only pay 70% of that amount if TikTok and YouTube agreed to similar changes. Some see this unusual element of the deal as a major success for Meta.
“Meta has committed $5 billion to incentivizing some of the most powerful law enforcement agencies in our country to do its dirty work,” Goldman said, “so that Meta’s rivals can make changes and the company is not left at a competitive disadvantage.”
Child safety on social media isn’t Bonta’s only battle against the tech industry. His office has pending lawsuits against six tech companies, including antitrust actions against Apple and Live Nation. Earlier this year, he announced an investigation into Elon Musk’s xAI company over allegations that its chatbot “Grok” was creating explicit, non-consensual images of women and children. Bonta has also supported legislation to protect children from artificial intelligence chatbots that serve as virtual companions.
CONFRONTING “PARAMOUNT”
The case of 12 states seeking to block the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to go to trial in March. Bonta has become the face of the case, partly because California is the largest state and home to Paramount, but also because Bonta has sought attention himself through frequent interviews and social media posts.
His office spent months reviewing the merger, divisive in Hollywood in the process. Paramount allies have accused Bonta of damaging the industry and playing politics by blocking a giant media merger that the federal government has already approved. But Bonta’s team is adamant that the Trump administration is corrupt and negligent, favoring the president’s cronies over the general public. Bonta told CNN that his office is filling the gaps left by the federal government. “Especially at a time when a federal administration is not doing the critical work that federal administrations have traditionally done, like enforcing civil rights laws, consumer protection laws or antitrust laws, I believe it’s up to states like California to step in and do more.”
Paramount executives argue that the deal with WBD is pro-competitive and that the states’ lawsuit is doomed to fail in court. But the lawsuit has blocked Paramount and WBD, prompting Paramount to publicly state the possibility of leaving California. Bonta has called the threat “blackmail,” but other California political leaders have expressed concern about the possibility.
A spokesman for Paramount declined to comment on Bonta for this article. Bonta has also said he prefers to resolve matters at the negotiating table rather than in court. But last month he broke off negotiations between the parties. He accused Paramount of leaking details of a meeting to the media and of “playing games,” which the company denied. While the comprehensive agreement with Meta shows Bonta’s willingness to reach an agreement, he told Politico that Paramount’s case is different. “There’s one difference: Meta was always going to stay here, they never threatened to leave,” he said. “Paramount could do the same thing… They seem to want to blackmail and threaten.”
However, talks on a deal are expected to take place in the coming weeks. But while Paramount and WBD hope for a quick resolution to an increasingly costly standoff, they face an adversary who, as history shows, is unlikely to back down. (CNN)