The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, must face a lawsuit from the state's attorney general. The suit alleges Meta deliberately designed features intended to addict young users.
This marks the first time a state high court has addressed whether Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which generally shields internet companies from liability for user-generated content, would also bar claims of deliberate addiction tactics. Meta denies the allegations, stating the company prioritizes teen safety.
The ruling follows a recent trial where a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent for harmful social media platform designs affecting young people, awarding $6 million to a woman who claimed childhood addiction. Meta also faces a $375 million civil penalty in a New Mexico lawsuit over alleged misleading safety claims and enabling child exploitation.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell's lawsuit highlights allegations that CEO Mark Zuckerberg dismissed concerns about Instagram's potential harm. The suit claims features like push notifications, 'likes,' and infinite scrolling exploit teens' psychological vulnerabilities and fear of missing out. The state asserts Meta's internal data indicated the platform's addictive and harmful effects on children, yet executives reportedly rejected changes to improve teen well-being.
Meta attempted to dismiss the Massachusetts case citing Section 230. However, the state argued the law does not apply to Meta's alleged false statements about platform safety, its efforts to protect young users, or its age-verification systems. A trial court judge previously agreed, stating Section 230 was inapplicable to allegations concerning the negative impacts of Instagram's design features, as the state's claim focused on Meta's own business conduct.