No More Likes? Meta’s Trial Could Change Instagram Forever

Meta is facing a high-stakes court battle that could reshape how millions of young people use Instagram and Facebook in the United States.

A jury trial set to begin Tuesday stems from a 2023 lawsuit filed by 30 US states, including California and New York. The states accuse Meta of violating federal and state privacy laws and deliberately designing its platforms in ways that can harm children and teenagers.

The states are seeking more than $1 trillion from Meta, but the bigger threat could come from the changes they want the company to make to its platforms.

If the states ultimately prevail, features that have become almost inseparable from modern social media could be restricted or removed for young users.

Likes, Scrolls and Stories Under Fire

The states are demanding major changes to the way Instagram and Facebook operate for children and teenagers.

Among their proposals are parental verification for teenage users and changes to what they describe as "dopamine-manipulating recommendation algorithms."

They also want Meta to remove many appearance-changing image filters, end autoplay of video, prohibit multiple accounts and restrict disappearing or "ephemeral" posts such as Instagram Stories.

The states are also seeking an end to "like" counts and infinite scroll.

The states claim Meta "chose to exploit" young people in order to hook them on its platforms.

According to the states, these features are designed to keep young people on Meta's platforms as frequently and for as long as possible. They also argue that frequent notifications make it harder for children and teenagers to step away from the apps.

Meta strongly disputes those allegations.

"We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people," a company spokeswoman said.

A Legal Battle With Bigger Stakes

The case comes after successive legal losses and challenges involving Meta and the alleged effects of its platforms on young users.

In a recent New Mexico ruling, Judge Bryan Biedscheid fined Meta $942 million and ordered changes that included eliminating like counts on Instagram and Facebook for users younger than 18. The order also prohibited teenagers from sending or receiving nudity through the platforms and limited push notifications to certain hours.

Judge Biedscheid also declared Meta a "public nuisance", comparing the alleged effects of its platforms to harmful pollution from a factory.

Meta said it would appeal the ruling.

The New Mexico order applies only within that state. The 30-state lawsuit could have much broader consequences because the states involved represent nearly two-thirds of the US population.

A victory for the states could therefore make nationwide changes more practical than maintaining separate versions of Instagram and Facebook for different states.

Why Like Counts Matter

The fight over likes highlights a larger question about how social media affects young people.

Like counts have been a central part of Facebook and Instagram since the early years of Meta's platforms. They provide an immediate measure of popularity and engagement, but researchers and critics have increasingly focused on their potential effects on teenagers.

Earlier this year, a young woman identified as Kaley prevailed in her lawsuit against Meta. She testified that she created dozens of YouTube and Instagram accounts when she was nine years old to generate likes on her own posts.

She said she hoped the additional engagement would increase feelings of validation and self-worth. She also remembered feeling depressed and was later diagnosed with depression at age 10.

Research cited in the article has found that engagement metrics such as like counts can contribute to feelings of rejection and depression among teenagers.

The states' lawyers have also pointed to Meta's own internal research. According to the article, Meta has handed over more than 2 million documents. Its research found that like counts could drive "social comparison".

That research linked Instagram-driven social comparison to "increased loneliness, worse body image, and negative mood or affect".

Instagram’s Future Could Look Different

The case could ultimately become a test of whether the design of major social-media platforms can be treated as a source of widespread harm to young users.

The states are asking Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, a chief federal judge in California, to reach a conclusion similar to the New Mexico court and impose broad changes on Meta.

The requested measures would affect features that have shaped Instagram and Facebook for years: likes, recommendation algorithms, infinite feeds, autoplay, notifications and disappearing posts.

A loss would not simply mean a huge financial penalty for Meta. It could force the company to rethink how young people discover content, communicate with others and measure popularity on its platforms.

For a generation that has grown up with these features, the biggest question may be simple: if the states win, what will Instagram and Facebook look like afterward?