Meta on Hook for Massachusetts Suit Over Social Media Addiction

Meta Platforms Inc. and Instagram LLC will have to face a Massachusetts lawsuit claiming that their addictive design features harm children after the Massachusetts Superior Court denied their motion to dismiss.

Meta knowingly uses features such as notifications, likes, infinite scroll, and temporary stories “to interfere with or override young user’s ability to regulate their time on Instagram, resulting in mental and physical harms from addictive use,” Judge Peter Krupp wrote in an order signed Thursday allowing the lawsuit to continue. The social media giant has also been reckless in its age verification process, putting users under 13 years old ...