Meta Ignored Internal Research on Instagram's Risks to Teens, Tennessee Trial Hears
Tennessee state attorneys told a jury on Monday that Meta Platforms leadership disregarded internal studies on Instagram's harm to teenagers to maximize profit. Meta countered that it works to identify and fix problems.
Attorneys for the state of Tennessee on Monday told a jury in Nashville that Meta Platforms' leadership ignored internal research about Instagram's impact on teenagers, prioritizing profits over safety. In opening statements of a seven-week trial, state lawyer Tom Cartmell said Meta researchers repeatedly flagged that teens were using the platform compulsively, leading to eating disorders, depression, and self-harm. Despite these warnings, Meta did not disable features like autoplay, notifications, and infinite scroll, which Cartmell argued were designed to keep teens engaged and increase ad views.
Cartmell played the sound of a notification, explaining that unpredictable rewards trigger dopamine releases, promoting addiction, especially in young brains. He showed a 2017 internal document where Meta product managers wrote that features such as notifications and infinite scroll “are inherently at odds with well-being” and that the company needed to warn the public. “This warning never came,” Cartmell said.
Kevin Huff, a lawyer for Meta, said the documents actually show the company is searching for problems to fix. He noted that Meta has developed tools to limit problematic use and empowers parents and teachers to help keep teens safe. Huff urged the jury to consider whether Meta should bear sole responsibility for societal issues like suicide, child exploitation, and addiction.
The lawsuit, filed by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, seeks financial penalties and a court order requiring Instagram to change features the state considers harmful. If found liable, a second phase will determine penalties and platform changes.
Nearly every U.S. state has filed claims against Meta over children's safety. Over two dozen suits are consolidated in San Francisco, while others proceed in state courts. This is the second state case to reach a jury; earlier in New Mexico, a jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million, with a judge still weighing additional remedies.
