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Tennessee Conservative News [By Paula Gomes] –
Jury selection began Monday in the state’s case against Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, which alleges that Instagram caused a mental health crisis among minors.
The Nashville trial is expected to last seven weeks and will be webcast live and on-demand in its entirety by Courtroom View Network.
In the lawsuit filed by Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, Tennessee alleges that Meta created Instagram to be addictive to children and teens and is seeking both penalties and changes to the platform.
Earlier this year, a New Mexico jury awarded that state $375 million in damages in a case that accused Meta of failing to adequately protect minors from being exploited online.
The state already sued Meta in 2023, alleging that the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act was violated by Meta when the company misled users regarding the harms to minors associated with using Instagram which included anxiety, increased depression, and lack of sleep. The product of a coalition of 42 state Attorney Generals, the lawsuit argued that Meta knew about the supposed harms but in its defense Meta pointed to the implementation of safety features that they argued were more robust than on other websites frequented by underage users.
In the new suit, the state alleges that Meta not only failed to disclose research that the company conducted internally and that showed that Instagram’s features could be harmful to minors, but they failed to warn users of these pitfalls.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg was purportedly warned numerous times by Meta employees about the research showing negative effects on minors but he declined to invest money into finding ways to minimize harms. Instead, Zuckerberg is accused of making misleading public statements about harmful content on Meta’s platforms.
The company is arguing that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields Meta from the state’s claims of harm as content posted on the platform is created by their users.
Tennessee’s trial will overlap with at least two others against Meta in California. The company is facing thousands of lawsuits both in state and federal courts over similar claims.
Almost every state has filed claims against Meta alleging negative impacts on minors.
One lawsuit brought by 29 states accuses the company of violating federal law that protects data collected from children, along with additional state law claims from 4 other states. That trial is set to begin on August 18th where it will be heard in federal court in California.
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About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
