On July 27, 2026, a trial began in Nashville, Tennessee. The state of Tennessee is suing Meta, the company that owns Instagram, claiming that Instagram's design features cause psychological harm to teenagers. A judge named Russell T. Perkins is overseeing the case. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, who filed the lawsuit, was in the courtroom for the first day. The Guardian

Tennessee's lawyer, Tom Cartmell, told the jury that Meta ignored its own research about how Instagram affects teenagers. He said the research showed that compulsive use of the app was leading to eating disorders, depression, and self-harm. To support this, Cartmell showed the jury a document from 2017 written by Meta's own employees. In it, the employees said that features like notifications and infinite scroll — a design where content keeps loading as you swipe down, making it hard to stop — "are inherently at odds with well-being" and said the company needed to warn the public. Tennessee wants the court to fine Meta and order Instagram to change features that cause harm.

Meta's lawyer, Kevin Huff, argued that the internal documents actually show Meta trying to find and fix problems on its platforms. He said protecting teens online is a shared responsibility, not something Meta alone should be responsible for.

The Tennessee case is one of 42 lawsuits that individual US states have brought against Meta. It is also part of a larger wave of trials about harm to young people from social media. In March 2026, a jury in New Mexico found Meta liable for harming children and ordered the company to pay $375 million. New Mexico had asked for $3.7 billion and court-ordered changes to Meta's platforms. Another trial, about whether Meta and YouTube designed their apps to addict children, started in Los Angeles in February 2026. Reuters

If the Tennessee jury finds Meta responsible, the trial moves to a second phase where the judge decides the punishment. That judge could order Meta to pay money and also require Instagram to change specific features of its app.

In August 2026, an even bigger trial is set to begin. It is a federal case — meaning it involves the US government rather than individual states — against Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap. Attorneys general from 29 states are bringing the case. The states are seeking a combined $1.4 trillion in penalties, with the amounts based on each state's own laws. Reuters

The broader context here is that social media companies are facing growing legal and financial pressure over how they design their apps. The Tennessee trial, while smaller in scope than the August federal case, tests the same core idea: that features designed to keep people scrolling and tapping — like infinite scroll and push notifications — are harmful when used on products that children and teenagers use. The 2017 document shown to the jury is especially powerful because it uses Meta's own words to describe these features as working against well-being.

Meta's defense, based on what was said in opening statements, relies on the argument that responsibility is shared and that the company's internal research shows it is trying to improve. Whether that argument convinces a Tennessee jury matters beyond this one case. Forty-two state lawsuits and a federal trial are all moving forward, and the outcomes of early cases are creating a record that later courts will look to.

The trial is expected to last seven weeks.