Overview
- Jury selection began in Nashville on Monday in a two-phase civil trial that will first determine liability under Tennessee’s consumer protection law and then let a judge decide penalties and remedies.
- Tennessee’s attorney general says internal Meta research showed Instagram harmed some teens and that the company kept features such as autoplay, Reels, push notifications and disappearing content that encouraged compulsive use.
- The state is seeking civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation and a court order to force design changes to Instagram’s recommendation and interface mechanics if liability is found.
- Meta has denied the allegations, pointed to safety tools and age-appropriate defaults it says it has built for teens, and argued federal law protects it from liability for third-party user content.
- The Tennessee case joins dozens of related suits, follows a $375 million New Mexico jury award earlier this year, and could prompt nationwide product changes that would directly affect how teens experience Instagram.