US state alleges Meta ignored known risks, continued offering features without user warnings.
Nearly every state in the country has filed claims against Meta over its platforms’ alleged impact on children. A trial over claims against Meta brought by 29 states alleging the company violated federal law protecting data collected from children and additional state law claims from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey is scheduled to begin on August 18 in federal court in California.
Separately, Meta and other social media companies are facing thousands of lawsuits brought by individuals and school districts in both state and federal court.
A trial against Meta and Snapchat parent Snap over the claims brought by a 15-year-old boy from Florida known as RKC, who alleges that social media damaged his mental health, is scheduled to begin on July 27.
The companies have broadly denied the allegations in these lawsuits, arguing they have sought to protect children and should not be liable for claims they say are based on content posted by their users.
Second state trial
Tennessee’s trial is the second to test claims in a lawsuit brought by a state against Meta.
New Mexico’s lawsuit against the company went to trial earlier this year, and a jury found the company had misled consumers about the safety of its Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms. The jury awarded the state $375 million in damages.
The judge held a separate bench trial over New Mexico’s claim the company had created a public nuisance, and is currently weighing whether to order the company to make changes and direct it to pay additional damages to repair the harms.
Meta Platforms is set to face trial in Tennessee on Monday over allegations that Instagram’s design contributed to a youth mental health crisis, as several legal cases examine claims that the company intentionally created features to encourage addictive use.
Tennessee Accuses Meta of Misleading Users Over Instagram’s Impact on Teens
Tennessee has accused Meta Platforms of violating the state’s consumer protection laws by allegedly creating a platform that encourages compulsive use among teenagers while misleading the public about its safety.
A lawsuit filed by the office of Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti claims Meta failed to reveal internal research indicating that Instagram could negatively affect young users. The state alleges the company continued providing features it knew posed risks without properly warning users.
According to the lawsuit, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other company officials were repeatedly informed about research showing harmful effects on teens. However, the state claims Meta did not provide enough resources to address those concerns and made misleading statements about harmful content on its platforms.
Skrmetti is seeking financial penalties and a court order requiring Instagram to change features that Tennessee says may harm teenagers’ mental health. The case highlights features including autoplay videos, Instagram Reels, notifications and disappearing content designs.
Meta rejected the allegations, saying it has introduced safety measures and parental controls to protect hundreds of thousands of Tennessee teenagers using its platforms.
A company spokesperson said Meta has spent years developing age-appropriate settings and tools that allow parents to manage their children’s social media experience.
Meta has also argued that the state’s claims focus on content created by users rather than the platform itself, and that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects the company from responsibility for third-party content.
Overlapping Trials
Jury selection for the first phase of the trial is scheduled to begin Monday in Nashville. The jury will determine whether Meta violated Tennessee law. If found responsible, the case will move to a second phase where a judge will consider possible financial penalties and potential changes to Instagram.
Under Tennessee’s consumer protection law, the company could face fines of up to $1,000 for each violation.
The trial is expected to continue for seven weeks and will take place alongside other legal battles against Meta in California, where the company faces thousands of similar lawsuits alleging that its platforms contribute to harm among young users.
Nearly every state in the country has filed claims against Meta over its platforms’ alleged impact on children. A trial over claims against Meta brought by 29 states alleging the company violated federal law protecting data collected from children and additional state law claims from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey is scheduled to begin on August 18 in federal court in California.
Separately, Meta and other social media companies are facing thousands of lawsuits brought by individuals and school districts in both state and federal court.
The companies have broadly denied the allegations in these lawsuits, arguing they have sought to protect children and should not be liable for claims they say are based on content posted by their users.
Second state trial
Tennessee’s trial is the second to test claims in a lawsuit brought by a state against Meta.
New Mexico’s lawsuit against the company went to trial earlier this year, and a jury found the company had misled consumers about the safety of its Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms. The jury awarded the state $375 million in damages.
The judge held a separate bench trial over New Mexico’s claim the company had created a public nuisance, and is currently weighing whether to order the company to make changes and direct it to pay additional damages to repair the harms.
