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Lawsuit Claims Meta Knew Instagram Was Harming Teens but Kept Addictive Features

Published July 28, 2026 at 4:03 PM UTC

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A new lawsuit filed in the United States alleges that Meta Platforms, the parent company of Instagram, was aware that its platform was causing harm to teenagers but deliberately kept features it knew were addictive. The legal action, brought by multiple plaintiffs, claims that Meta internal research showed Instagram worsened body image issues, anxiety, and depression among young users. Despite this knowledge, the company is accused of prioritizing engagement and revenue over safety by not removing or redesigning features like infinite scroll, notifications, and algorithm-driven content recommendations. The lawsuit seeks damages and demands changes to Instagram's design. Meta has denied the allegations, stating that it has introduced numerous safety tools and that the suit misrepresents its efforts. The case highlights ongoing global scrutiny of social media's impact on youth mental health. In the UK and elsewhere, regulators are also examining platform safety measures. The outcome could influence future regulation and corporate accountability for tech giants.