The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from Meta Platforms, Inc. in a case brought by the state of Vermont, which accuses the social media giant of designing Instagram to be addictive to teenagers.
Meta's appeal was against a lower court ruling that denied the company’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The company has declined to comment on the Supreme Court's decision.
The Vermont Attorney General sued Meta in state court in 2023, alleging unfair and deceptive business practices. The lawsuit claims that Meta intentionally designed its Instagram app to be addictive to young users, with the aim of boosting advertising revenue. It further alleges that Meta failed to take meaningful action despite knowing about the app's addictive nature.
Meta had sought to have the case dismissed by a Vermont court, arguing that the state lacked personal jurisdiction over the company. This motion was denied by a lower court, and the Vermont Supreme Court subsequently upheld that denial on appeal.
Prior to the Supreme Court's decision not to take the case, Meta has faced a series of lawsuits concerning its protections for young users. In March, a jury in New Mexico found Meta responsible for failing to protect minors from online dangers, including explicit content and human trafficking.
In April, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that Meta must face a lawsuit filed by the state, which accuses the company of intentionally designing certain social media features to addict young users.
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