Court lets youth-addiction suit against Meta proceed
Massachusetts’ high court ruled that Meta must face a lawsuit alleging Instagram was designed to addict children, allowing the case to advance rather than be dismissed at an early procedural stage. Although the suit targets social media, the ruling signals increasing legal scrutiny of product design that encourages youth dependence. (thehindu.com)
Massachusetts’ highest court ruled on April 10 that Meta must keep fighting a state lawsuit accusing Instagram of being built to hook children. (mass.gov) The case was brought by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, who sued Meta in 2023 under the state consumer protection law and public nuisance law. The complaint says Instagram used features such as endless scrolling and repeated notifications to drive compulsive use by minors. (mass.gov) The Supreme Judicial Court did not decide whether Meta broke the law. It decided the case can move forward because the state’s claims target Meta’s own product design and marketing conduct, not just posts created by users. (mass.gov) That distinction matters because Meta had asked the court to throw out the case under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the 1996 federal law that often shields internet companies from liability for user content. Justice Kimberly Budd Wendlandt wrote for a unanimous court that Section 230 does not block these claims at this early stage. (mass.gov) The opinion says Massachusetts alleged Instagram was engineered to increase children’s time on the app and that Meta publicly downplayed known risks to young users. The court said those allegations, if proved, could support claims of unfair or deceptive business practices. (mass.gov) The ruling arrives as state attorneys general and school districts around the United States have tried to recast social media cases around product design, not just harmful content. In October 2023, attorneys general from 33 states sued Meta in federal court, accusing the company of using addictive features to keep young users engaged. (reuters.com) Courts have split on how far those cases can go, especially when companies argue that recommendation systems and engagement tools are part of publishing third-party content. The Massachusetts decision gives plaintiffs a state high court opinion saying alleged design choices can be treated as a company’s own conduct. (mass.gov) Meta said in a statement after the ruling that it disagrees with the decision and has developed tools and policies to support teens and parents. The company has pointed to Teen Accounts on Instagram, which place younger users into stricter default settings and require parental approval for some changes. (cnbc.com) (about.fb.com) Massachusetts’ suit now returns to the trial court for discovery and later stages, where the state will have to prove what Meta knew and how Instagram was built. The April 10 ruling means Meta lost its bid to end the case before that evidence is tested in court. (mass.gov)
