The nation’s highest court on Tuesday turned down Meta’s request to block a legal challenge claiming the company’s Facebook and Instagram platforms damage teenage users’ wellbeing, marking another setback for social media giants facing mounting legal pressure.
Meta Platforms Inc. had sought Supreme Court intervention after Vermont’s top court permitted a 2023 lawsuit brought by the state’s attorney general to proceed. The tech giant confronts comparable legal actions from multiple states nationwide, all claiming the company deliberately created habit-forming platform elements.
The corporation maintained it should not face litigation in Vermont’s courts since neither the business nor its app development has direct connections to that state. Vermont responded that the platforms’ substantial teenage user base within state borders provides adequate legal grounds for court authority.
In a standard brief order without explanation, the Supreme Court refused to consider the appeal. This ruling follows previous courtroom defeats for Meta and YouTube in social media dependency cases in California and New Mexico.
These legal challenges emerged following a multi-state investigation led by attorneys general from both political parties, including Vermont. Media coverage highlighting Meta’s internal research revealed the corporation understood Instagram’s potential negative effects on adolescents, particularly teenage girls, regarding mental wellness and self-image concerns. Company research indicated that 13.5% of teen girls reported Instagram worsened suicidal thoughts, while 17% said the platform aggravated eating disorder symptoms.
Data from the Pew Research Center shows nearly every teenager between 13 and 17 years old in America uses social media platforms, with approximately one-third reporting “almost constant” usage.
Meta has responded by stating it has already rolled out numerous resources designed to help teenagers and their families, and indicated willingness to collaborate with states on establishing youth social media usage guidelines.
