Meta Sued over Instagram's Alleged Addictive Design

Meta is facing a lawsuit in the US state of Tennessee over allegations that Instagram was deliberately designed to encourage addictive behavior among teenagers and contribute to a youth mental health crisis.

The state alleges that the company violated consumer protection laws by creating a product that encourages compulsive use by teenagers while misleading the public about its safety. The lawsuit also claims that Meta withheld internal research indicating Instagram's potentially harmful effects on young people and continued to retain features it knew posed risks.

According to the complaint, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was repeatedly informed of the findings but declined to fund measures aimed at reducing the harm. Tennessee is seeking financial penalties and a court order requiring Meta to modify features including autoplay videos, Reels, notifications and disappearing content.

Meta says Instagram includes tools designed to protect minors, including parental controls, and argues that it is not legally responsible for harm caused by user generated content.

The jury is scheduled to begin deliberations on Monday in Nashville. If jurors find that Meta violated the law, the court will determine the financial penalties and any changes the company must make to the platform. The trial is expected to last about seven weeks and is proceeding alongside other lawsuits against Meta.

(Reuters, bak)