The state of Tennessee commenced a seven-week trial against Meta in state court on Monday, accusing the social media company of knowingly ignoring its own research regarding harmful effects of Instagram and Facebook on adolescent users. Tennessee attorneys argued that Meta researchers documented compulsive platform usage among teenagers that contributed to eating disorders, depression and self-harm, yet the company maintained features including autoplay, notifications and infinite scroll that were designed to maximize teen engagement and advertising exposure.
Meta’s legal team countered that the company has maintained transparency regarding risks teens encounter on Instagram and has actively worked to identify and remediate harmful content. The company stated it has developed tools to limit problematic usage patterns and supports collaborative efforts involving parents and educators to ensure teen safety online.
The Tennessee case represents one of 42 lawsuits filed by individual states against Meta. The litigation follows a significant verdict in New Mexico during March, when a jury determined Meta bore liability for child harm and imposed a $375 million civil penalty. Additionally, thousands of separate legal actions have been filed against Meta and other social media platforms by families, school districts and state attorneys general.
Tennessee’s Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office seeks both financial damages and a court order requiring Instagram to modify features deemed detrimental to teen mental health. Should the jury find Meta liable, proceedings will advance to a second phase where the judge will determine damages. During opening statements, state attorneys highlighted internal Meta documents from 2017 in which product managers acknowledged that notification and infinite scroll features were “inherently at odds with well-being.” Another trial addressing social media addiction and child harm is scheduled to commence next month in Oakland, California, marking the first federal trial against Meta and involving attorneys general from 29 states.
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