A teenager from New York has taken legal action against Meta, the parent company of Instagram, alleging that the social media giant has intentionally designed the Instagram app to be addictive for teens, despite being aware of its potential harmful effects. This lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks class-action status and aims to address the broader issue of social media addiction and its impact on youth.
The plaintiff, a 13-year-old girl, is demanding $5 billion in damages, which, if the lawsuit achieves class-action status, would be distributed among eligible Instagram users. The complaint asserts that Meta has deliberately integrated features, such as the display of “like” counts, to make the Instagram app addictive, even though internal research suggested these features could negatively affect mental health.
Court documents reveal that the young girl has experienced anxiety, depression, and a decline in academic performance as a result of her Instagram use. The plaintiff’s legal team, led by David Boies of Boies Schiller Flexner, argues that Meta should be held accountable for manipulating young users in harmful ways. Boies emphasized the need for regulatory measures, comparing social media’s addictive nature to that of tobacco and alcohol, which are similarly restricted for minors due to their potential for physical and psychological harm.
A Meta spokeswoman, Liza Crenshaw, responded by highlighting the company’s efforts to create a safer online environment for teens. These efforts include the development of parental control tools, age verification technology, and safety restrictions for teen accounts. Crenshaw acknowledged the complexity of the issues but reaffirmed Meta’s commitment to collaborating with experts and listening to parents to improve their platforms’ safety features.
This lawsuit is part of a growing trend of legal actions targeting social media companies over their impact on mental health. The case echoes earlier lawsuits inspired by revelations from former Facebook employee Frances Haugen, who disclosed internal research indicating that Instagram exacerbates body image issues among teens. The current lawsuit is one of several that aim to hold Meta and other social media companies accountable for their role in the mental health crisis among American youth.
In response to these concerns, legislative efforts have been made to enhance online privacy and safety protections for children. Recently, the Senate passed bills designed to safeguard children from various online dangers, although these bills face challenges in the House. Additionally, in October, 41 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against Meta, alleging that Facebook and Instagram contribute to mental health problems in young people.
Despite Meta’s introduction of features intended to make its apps safer for children, such as notifications encouraging breaks and tools for parents to monitor their children’s activities, critics argue that the company is not doing enough to mitigate the harmful effects of its platforms. The new lawsuit calls for stricter regulations, including requiring parental consent for minors to create Instagram accounts and limiting access to potentially addictive features like push notifications and ephemeral content.
