A high-profile legal battle between the State of Tennessee and Meta Platforms has entered trial, with state attorneys alleging that the company ignored its own internal research on Instagram’s impact on teenagers while prioritizing profits from young users.
The 7-week jury trial began in Nashville, where the state argued that Meta continued using platform features that encouraged excessive engagement despite knowing the potential risks.
During opening statements, attorneys for Tennessee said Meta’s internal researchers had repeatedly warned that some teenagers were using Instagram compulsively, leading to eating disorders, depression, and self-harm. They alleged that features such as autoplay, notifications, and infinite scroll were intentionally designed to keep teens on the platform longer and increase advertising exposure.
Representing Meta, the company’s legal team argued that the internal documents presented in court demonstrate its efforts to identify risks and improve user safety. Meta said it has been transparent about the challenges teenagers face online and has introduced tools to reduce problematic use while supporting parents and teachers in keeping young users safe.
The lawsuit, filed by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office, seeks financial penalties and a court order requiring Instagram to change features that the state believes are harmful to teenagers’ mental health. If the jury finds Meta liable, the case will move into a second phase, where Chancellor Russell Perkins will decide whether the company should pay additional penalties and implement changes to make Instagram safer for teens.
During the trial, Tennessee’s attorney Tom Cartmell played the sound of a smartphone notification, arguing that unpredictable rewards trigger dopamine responses that can contribute to addictive behavior, especially among children. He also presented a 2017 internal Meta document stating that features such as notifications and infinite scroll “are inherently at odds with well-being” and claimed the company never warned the public.
Meta attorney Kevin Huff responded that online safety is a shared responsibility, stating that the company continues to improve its platforms and develop tools to protect teenagers. The Tennessee case is the 2nd state lawsuit against Meta to reach a jury. Earlier this year, a jury in New Mexico found the company liable and ordered it to pay $375 million, while additional penalties and platform changes remain under consideration.
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