"Likes" Blamed for Teen Depression? 30 US States Sue Meta, Demand $31 Trillion in Damages and Elimination of Likes and Infinite Scroll

Meta has faced repeated legal defeats over its platforms targeting and harming young users, but a jury trial set to begin on Tuesday (August 18) could pose the biggest threat yet to its operations. The lawsuit stems from a 2023 action brought by 30 US states, including California and New York, accusing Meta of numerous violations of federal and state-level children's privacy laws. The states are not only seeking over $1 trillion in damages (6.74 trillion RMB; 31.8 trillion TWD) from Meta but also demanding reforms to Instagram and Facebook, including eliminating the 'like' count and infinite scrolling features. If Meta ultimately loses this massive case, it could fundamentally change how young people experience social media. The suing US states are also calling for further changes to how Instagram and Facebook operate for young users. They want Meta to: implement parental verification processes for teenage users, alter its 'dopamine-manipulating recommendation algorithms', remove various image filters that alter human appearances, end auto-playing video content, prohibit the creation of multiple accounts, and stop posting ephemeral or 'disappearing' content such as Instagram Stories. All these features are currently central to the user experience on Meta's platforms. The states argue these features are designed to keep users, including teens and children, engaged for as long as possible. They claim Meta even uses frequent push notifications to make it difficult for young people to reduce their platform usage—notifications specifically designed to prompt them to reopen the apps. Allegedly, Meta chose to 'exploit' young people by targeting child users to attract them to its platforms, thereby expanding its user base and growing its business. Today, Meta's market capitalization stands at approximately $1.5 trillion. Meta has consistently denied these allegations. 'We strongly disagree with these claims and believe the evidence will show our long-standing commitment to supporting young people,' a female spokesperson said in a statement. The US states have submitted their claims to Chief Federal Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in California. She presided over the high-profile Elon Musk vs. Sam Altman case and is known for her sharp and direct rulings after nearly two decades on the bench. Social Media as a 'Public Nuisance' In a recent ruling against Meta, a judge in New Mexico fined the company a total of $942 million and ordered changes similar to those now demanded by other states. Judge Bryan Biedscheid ordered changes including removing 'like' counts for users under 18 on Instagram and Facebook, banning minors from sending or receiving nude content through these platforms, and restricting app push notifications to specific times of day. The judge also declared Meta a 'public nuisance,' akin to a factory polluting the air, causing 'harmful effects' on public health affecting the general population. Meta says it will appeal the decision. While Judge Biedscheid's order only requires Meta to make changes in New Mexico, if these 30 states win their separate lawsuit, Meta would almost certainly need to implement platform changes nationwide. The participating states represent about two-thirds of the US population. Therefore, if Meta implements these changes, it would mark a significant shift in its platform experience. For example, the 'like' count feature has existed since Meta's inception, when it was still called Facebook and Facebook was its only platform. Today, liking content is ubiquitous across social media platforms. It is the primary way people interact with text, images, and videos they see online. However, 'likes' are increasingly seen as fostering negative emotions, especially among young people. Earlier this year, a young woman named Kaley won a lawsuit against Meta. In court testimony, she described creating dozens of accounts on YouTube and Instagram. She used the account system to boost likes on her own posts, hoping to increase interaction with other users and enhance her sense of identity and self-worth. At the time, Kaley was just nine years old. She recalled feeling deeply discouraged and was later diagnosed with depression at age ten. Research over the past few years has shown that engagement metrics like 'like' counts can lead to feelings of rejection and depression among teenagers. In the states' lawsuit against Meta, the company stated it had submitted over 2 million documents, while lawyers pointed out Meta's own research indicating that similarity drives 'social comparison'—the psychological behavior of measuring one's worth by comparing oneself to others. Meta's internal research shows that this kind of social comparison triggered by Instagram is linked to 'increased loneliness, worsened body image, and negative emotions or feelings.' As Judge Biedscheid stated in his ruling, this is the first time a social media company has been deemed a 'public nuisance.' Meta's operational model over more than a decade has contributed to the worsening 'youth mental health crisis' in New Mexico and elsewhere. Now, attorneys from another 30 states will urge Judge Gonzalez Rogers to reach the same conclusion. This article was originally written in English. We used artificial intelligence to assist with translation, which was reviewed by BBC journalists before publication. Learn more about how we use AI.