Meta faces Tennessee trial over allegations Instagram was designed to be addictive
Meta is facing a trial in Tennessee over allegations that Instagram's design features, such as autoplay and notifications, are intentionally addictive and harmful to youth mental health. The state seeks financial penalties and mandatory changes to the platform's design.
Why it matters
This case is a significant legal test for social media companies regarding their liability for the psychological impact of their platform designs on minors.
Meta Platforms faces trial in Tennessee on Monday over the state’s claims that Instagram’s design is to blame for a youth mental-health crisis, one of several trials in the coming weeks testing allegations that the company’s social media platforms were intentionally built to be addictive.
Tennessee accuses the company of violating the state’s consumer protection law by knowingly designing a product that drives teens to compulsive use and misleading the public about its safety.
The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office, claims Meta failed to disclose extensive internal research showing Instagram could harm teens and continued offering features it knew were dangerous without warning users.
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