TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jul 20, 2026

The Tennessee Attorney General's (AG) Office is facing Meta in court as its challenge to the social media company's Instagram platform began today in Nashville. The Tennessean reports that the state sued Meta in October 2023, alleging Instagram is "unfairly and deceptively addictive and harmful, particularly to young people," and that the company violated the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act by engaging in unfair and deceptive business practices. The trial is expected to last six to seven weeks and include testimony from dozens of witnesses. Meta has denied allegations linking Instagram's design to poor teen mental health, pointing instead to safety features and arguing that any harms stem from user-generated content. The AG's office contends Instagram's design features and notification systems foster compulsive use among young people and that Meta failed to adequately warn users about the risks of exposure to sexual or self-harm-related content and potential mental health impacts. Tennessee is one of 42 states that filed lawsuits against Meta on the same day.