Key facts
- Meta Platforms faces a trial in Tennessee starting Monday over allegations that Instagram's design contributes to a youth mental health crisis.
- Tennessee claims Meta violated its consumer protection law by knowingly designing a product that drives compulsive use and by misleading the public about its safety.
- The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti's office, alleges Meta possessed internal research indicating Instagram's negative impact on teens but did not act to minimize harms.
- Meta argues that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects it from liability for third-party content.
- The trial will proceed in two phases: first to determine if Meta violated Tennessee law, and second to decide on penalties and platform modifications.
- This case is one of several trials against Meta concerning the alleged impact of its social media platforms on youth mental health.
Meta Platforms is set to face a trial in Tennessee beginning Monday, where the state will argue that Instagram's design is responsible for a youth mental-health crisis. This trial is one of several in the coming weeks that will examine claims that the company intentionally built its social media platforms to be addictive.
Tennessee's lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti's office, asserts that Meta violated the state's consumer protection law by knowingly creating a product that encourages compulsive use and by misleading the public about its safety. The state alleges that Meta possessed internal research demonstrating Instagram's potential harm to teens but chose not to fund efforts to mitigate these risks and made misleading public statements regarding harmful content on its platforms.
Skrmetti is seeking financial penalties and a court order mandating modifications to Instagram's features, which the state identifies as harmful to teen mental health. These features include autoplay, Reels videos, notifications, and ephemeral content designs. A Meta spokesperson stated that the company has implemented safety controls and age-appropriate defaults for teen users, alongside tools for parental oversight.
Meta has countered that the state's claims of harm are based on user-generated content and that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields the company from liability for such content. The trial, scheduled to last seven weeks, will begin with jury selection in Nashville. If the jury finds Meta liable under Tennessee law, a second phase will address monetary penalties and potential platform changes, with fines potentially reaching $1,000 per violation.
This Tennessee case is the second state-led trial against Meta concerning similar allegations. A previous trial in New Mexico resulted in a jury awarding the state $375 million in damages, finding the company had misled consumers about the safety of its platforms. Meta and other social media companies, including Snapchat's parent Snap Inc, are also facing thousands of lawsuits from individuals and school districts alleging damage to mental health due to social media use.