United States of America: Filed Public Lawsuit against Meta for Misrepresentation of Instagram Content (Montana v Meta)

On 4 December 2023, Montana Attorney General Knudsen filed a public lawsuit against Meta for failing to accurately represent the kind of data available on its Instagram platform. In particular, the State alleges that sexually explicit content, content promoting or enabling the sale of illicit drugs, explicit materials involving minors and materials promoting suicide or eating disorders, are all readily accessible to minor users, contrary to the company's public reassurances and to the app's age ratings. These deceptive actions are alleged to have been undertaken with the aim to expand the company's market to minors, exploiting the addictive design of the platform. The lawsuit includes an injunction requiring Meta to terminate the above behaviours. As the alleged actions violate Montana’s Consumer Protection Act, Meta may be liable for up to USD 10'000 for each violation.