Lawsuit claims Meta ignored own research about addictive social media features
- Tennessee attorneys have initiated a trial against Meta, accusing the company of knowingly prioritising profits over the safety of children using Instagram.
- The state alleges Meta ignored its own internal research, which repeatedly linked heavy Instagram use to eating disorders, depression, and self-harm among teenagers.
- Lawyers for Tennessee argued that features like autoplay, push notifications, and infinite scroll were deliberately kept to encourage prolonged app usage and increase advertising views.
- Meta’s defence stated that the company actively studies potential harms to improve its products and has invested in tools to limit problematic use, asserting that online teen protection is a shared responsibility.
- The lawsuit seeks substantial financial penalties and a court order to modify Instagram features deemed detrimental to teenagers’ mental health, forming part of a wider legal challenge against Meta across the US.
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