U.S. Court Deals Blow to Meta in Social Media Addiction Case

The state of Vermont filed a case alleging that internet giant Meta’s platforms have encouraged young people to get addicted to social media, but the U.S. Supreme Court denied its appeal.

The result maintains the Vermont Supreme Court’s decision that the state has jurisdiction to prosecute Meta since the firm actively participates in its market and makes money from local advertisers and consumers.

Given that the company’s headquarters are in California, Meta contended in its appeal that Vermont lacked jurisdiction to hear the action and that this violated due process.

The lawsuit now move forward in Vermont’s federal courts thanks to the judges’ order, which was put in the case’s public records and lacks an explanation.

Following a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general’s inquiry into the effects of social media on adolescents, Vermont filed a lawsuit in 2023.

According to the state, Meta prioritizes user engagement time over the wellbeing of its users and designs its platforms to promote compulsive use among teens.

One of the studies cited in the lawsuit noted that 13.5% of teenage girls said Instagram made their suicidal thoughts worse, while 17% said it exacerbated their eating disorders.