Meta is under renewed legal scrutiny in the United States as state authorities challenge the way Instagram and Facebook are designed and operated for younger users.
The court proceedings, beginning Tuesday, centre on allegations that Meta’s platforms use features that can encourage children and teenagers to remain online for extended periods and repeatedly return to the applications.
According to the BBC reports, a group of 30 US states brought the case in 2023, alleging that Meta breached laws intended to protect children online. The authorities argue that features such as personalised recommendations, notifications, infinite feeds and engagement indicators can encourage excessive use among young people. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is considering the case in California.
In addition, the states are seeking potentially more than $1 trillion in damages and penalties. They are also asking the court to require Meta to introduce significant changes to its platforms.
Among the proposed measures are stronger systems for verifying young users, greater parental involvement, restrictions on certain recommendation technologies, changes to appearance-altering filters and limits on autoplay videos.
The states are also calling for restrictions on multiple accounts and temporary content, including disappearing posts.
However, Meta rejects the allegations and says it has invested in measures designed to improve safety for younger users.
“We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people,” a company spokeswoman said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the proceedings follow a separate ruling in New Mexico that increased pressure on Meta. A state judge ordered the company to pay $942 million and imposed several restrictions aimed at protecting users under 18. The measures include removing public “like” counts for younger users, restricting the exchange of nude material between teenagers and controlling the timing of certain notifications.
In that ruling, the judge also classified Meta’s conduct as a “public nuisance”, a significant legal finding that compared the alleged impact of its platforms to a broader public harm.
If the states succeed, the latest case could have consequences beyond those directly involved in the lawsuit. The participating states account for a large share of the US population, raising the possibility that major court-ordered reforms could influence how Meta operates its platforms nationwide.
Another key issue is the use of “likes”. State attorneys have cited research by Meta examining how young users compare themselves to others on Instagram. The research cited in the case associated such comparisons with “increased loneliness, worse body image, and negative mood or affect.”
The states maintain that Meta was aware of concerns surrounding these features while continuing to use them to drive engagement.
Meta, however, disputes that interpretation and points to protections it has introduced for younger users, including parental controls and dedicated safety measures.
The case could determine whether Meta must make substantial changes to the way Instagram and Facebook function for children and teenagers, potentially setting a wider precedent for the social media industry.
