United States of America: Attorney General of Massachusetts filed lawsuit against Meta Platforms and Instagram over alleged unfair and deceptive business practices targeting youth

On 24 October 2023, the Attorney General of Massachusetts filed a complaint and jury demand in the Superior Court of Suffolk County against Meta Platforms and Instagram. The complaint alleges that Meta engaged in unfair practices by designing Instagram features in ways that may encourage frequent and prolonged use among young users, including through notifications, infinite scroll, autoplay content, time-limited features, and variable reward mechanisms, while being aware of potential harms identified in internal research. It also alleges that Meta engaged in deceptive practices by making statements about the platform’s safety and its impact on young users, while not fully disclosing internal findings regarding exposure to harmful content. In addition, the complaint states that Meta represented that children under 13 were not permitted on the platform, while being aware that underage users were present and that existing age verification measures were limited in effectiveness. Finally, the complaint alleges that Meta contributed to a public nuisance related to the use of Instagram by young people, with claimed impacts on health and well-being and broader effects on public health and safety.