WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Meta Platforms Inc.'s appeal to dismiss a Vermont lawsuit alleging that Facebook and Instagram harm young users, allowing the case to proceed in state court. The Court declined to hear Meta's appeal in a brief, unexplained order.

Vermont's attorney general filed the lawsuit in 2023 after an investigation by a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general. The state’s highest court had previously allowed the case to move forward. Meta argued it could not be sued in Vermont because the company and its app designs lack specific ties to the state. Vermont countered that the large number of teenage Facebook and Instagram users within its borders gives its courts jurisdiction over the company. "The Supreme Court's decision affirms that companies that choose to do business in Vermont, like Meta, can be held accountable when they harm kids," Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark said.

Meta is facing similar lawsuits from multiple states accusing it of knowingly designing addictive features. Newspaper reports based on the company’s internal research found Meta was aware of harms Instagram causes teenagers, particularly girls, related to mental health and body image. One internal study cited 13.5% of teen girls saying Instagram worsened thoughts of suicide, and 17% saying it exacerbated eating disorders.

Meta has said it has introduced dozens of tools to support teens and their families and suggested it would have worked with states on standards for youth social media use. The company has also faced legal setbacks in other cases. In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable for designing addictive features in a lawsuit brought by a plaintiff identified as KGM, who claimed social media addiction worsened her mental health struggles. The jury awarded KGM about $6 million in damages.

In New Mexico, a jury ruled that Meta harms children’s mental health and safety in violation of state law. Meta also settled a lawsuit brought by Kentucky’s Breathitt County School District, which had sought more than $60 million for a 15-year program addressing social media-related mental health and learning issues. The settlement involved Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube, though financial terms were not disclosed. The Breathitt County case was selected as a bellwether out of 1,200 similar lawsuits filed by school districts nationwide.