A legal battle has begun in the U.S. over whether Instagram and Facebook are designed to encourage excessive use among teenagers, with Meta facing lawsuits from 29 states. The outcome could potentially alter familiar features like 'likes' and infinite scroll.
On August 18, local time, Reuters reported that opening statements in the lawsuit against Meta commenced in a federal court in Oakland, California.
Four states—California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey—allege that Meta designed features to keep young users on its platforms longer while misleading consumers about safety. The 29 states also claim that Meta improperly collected and used children's personal information, violating federal laws.
The lawsuit was initiated in 2023, following testimony from former Meta employee Frances Haugen in 2021, where she stated that the company was aware of the risks its services posed to teenagers but failed to take adequate measures. This prompted several states to launch a joint investigation.
The plaintiffs are seeking not only financial penalties but also changes to platform features. The four states have requested the court to eliminate the 'likes' feature and the infinite scroll function that continuously displays new posts, as well as to impose limits on usage time for young users. They are also calling for stricter restrictions to prevent children under 13 from using the platform.
However, it remains uncertain whether these features will actually be removed. The jury will provide a non-binding advisory verdict, while the final responsibility for any sanctions will rest with U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. The trial is expected to last about six weeks.
Meta has denied the allegations. A spokesperson for the company stated that a clear causal relationship between teenagers' social media use and mental health deterioration has not been established. Meta has also argued that various factors, including academic pressure and family and social environments, affect youth mental health, asserting that the related lawsuits oversimplify the issue.
Additionally, Meta emphasized that it has implemented measures to protect teenage users, such as defaulting accounts to private settings, providing parental controls for usage time, and limiting exposure to sensitive content.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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