Montana sues Meta, alleging Instagram violates consumer protection laws

After being dealt a blow in the state’s efforts to ban TikTok, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is now suing Instagram and its parent company and affiliates alleging the company makes adult content available for children and violates state and federal consumer protection laws.

Knudsen, on behalf of the state, filed a lawsuit Friday in federal court asking a judge to declare that Instagram and parent company Meta are conducting deceptive and unfair trade practices, to enjoin the company from doing so, and to award the state civil penalties and investigatory and litigation costs.

“Meta must be held accountable for its deceptive practices and the harm it has caused,” Knudsen said in a statement. “Instagram’s intentional addictive design and its failure to address the rampant presence of harmful content on its platform, including explicit drug promotion and sexual exploitation, pose serious risks to the mental health and well-being of young Montanans.”