The Supreme Court of Massachusetts concluded Instagram* has been used by Meta* in ways that foster addiction among children.
In a unanimous ruling the justices found the company exploited teenagers' vulnerability for profit — employing features (e.g., endless scrolling, visible "likes", persistent notifications) designed to keep attention locked in.
This suit isn't unique: it sits among thousands of cases across the U.S. that push back on platform practices rather than treating the matter as an isolated dispute.
The court refused to tuck Meta* behind Section 230, saying the harm flowed from Meta*'s own choices and from misleading conduct toward users.
Judges pointed to internal research showing youth harm, and yet executives ignored repeated calls for change over several yrs — a gap between what the data said and what leadership actually did. Frankly, that gap matters.
Banned in the Russian Federation.