Meta Platforms went to trial on Monday in the Chancery Court for Davidson County in Nashville in a civil enforcement action brought by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti regarding allegations that the company designed Instagram with the goal of intentionally promoting addiction in young users and deliberately misleading the public about the platform’s safety.
The complaint, filed in October 2023, accuses Meta of violating the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act by failing to disclose internal research documenting Instagram’s harm to teens and continuing to offer dangerous features without warning users. The state alleges that Meta co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was repeatedly warned by some employees about research showing Instagram negatively impacted the mental health of young users but declined to fund efforts to reduce those impacts. The complaint specifically targets features including autoplay, Instagram Reels, push notifications, and designs that cause content to disappear after a limited period.
Tennessee alleges that these features encourage compulsive use and contribute to depression, anxiety, sleep disruption, and other mental health side effects among young users.
Tennessee is seeking civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation under the state’s consumer protection law, as well as a court order requiring Instagram to modify the problematic features. Jury selection began Monday in the first phase of the seven-week trial. If the jury finds liability on Meta’s part, the case will move to a second phase where a judge will weigh monetary penalties and potential changes to the platform.
Meta has vehemently denied the allegations. Among its defenses, the company argues that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields the company from liability for content posted by third-party users. A Meta spokesperson said Friday that the company has “spent a decade building safe, age-appropriate defaults for teens alongside simple tools for parents to set the right boundaries for their family.”
The Tennessee proceeding is the second trial of claims brought by a state against Meta over alleged harms to young users. In March, a New Mexico jury imposed $375 million in civil penalties after finding Meta misled consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangered children. A judge is separately weighing New Mexico’s request for additional monetary relief and court-ordered changes to Meta’s platforms. Meta also faces an August 18 trial in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. That proceeding will address federal child privacy claims brought by 29 states, as well as consumer protection claims brought by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey.
