Court filings reveal Meta executives knew as early as 2019 that Instagram’s features exposed children to predators but refused to implement safety measures that could have prevented deaths

The Social Media Victims Law Center, a legal advocacy organization supporting families harmed by predatory tech, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Inc. and Instagram over the sextortion-related suicides of 16‑year‑old M.D. from Dunblane, Scotland, and 13‑year‑old L.M. from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, who died two days after opening his Instagram account.

The lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware, alleges that newly unsealed filings from litigation against Meta in California prove the company knew as early as 2019 that Instagram was exposing children to predators but chose to prioritize engagement and profit over safety. These internal documents also show that Meta understood that Instagram’s “Accounts You May Follow” feature was actively connecting adult strangers to children, potentially exposing millions of children to adult groomers worldwide.

Meta’s own researchers repeatedly warned its leadership that adults with no prior connection to children were exploiting Instagram’s design to groom minors, harvest personal data, and carry out sextortion crimes. Internal discussions dating back more than five years confirm that Meta rejected simple fixes – such as defaulting teen accounts to private or blocking adult direct messages from strangers – because executives feared reduced engagement.

“Meta’s secret is out,” said Matthew P. Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center. “For years, Meta knew Instagram was a hunting ground for predators, yet chose to protect engagement metrics over children’s lives. That conscious decision to connect random strangers to children has cost families their sons and daughters, turning Instagram into the epicenter of sextortion‑related youth suicides. Had they chosen to follow their own internal recommendations they could have saved countless lives.”

Evidence of Harm

Court filings further reveal:

• Meta repeatedly rejected researcher recommendations to default teen accounts to private, which would have prevented 5.4 million unwanted direct messages daily.
• In 2019, 3.5 million profiles engaged in “inappropriate interactions with children” via Instagram DMs.
• In 2022, Instagram recommended 1.4 million teens to potential predators in a single day.
• Internal surveys found 13 percent of 13–15‑year‑olds received unwanted sexual advances on a weekly basis.

A January 30, 2024 report from the Network Contagion Research Institute, “A Digital Pandemic: Uncovering the Toll of ‘Yahoo Boys’ in the surge of Social Media-Enabled Financial Sextortion Targeting Minors,” found that Instagram is “the most common vector sextortion criminals use to target victims. Its design and features make it the most accessible platform for blackmailers to quickly obtain personal information and launch successful sextortion attacks.”

About M.D.

M.D. was a clever, funny, and sociable boy who loved his football team and playing guitar. Though shy about the spotlight, he once performed at a school event, showing quiet confidence. Strong-willed and often the peacemaker in his family, he was deeply cherished by his parents and brothers.

At 10, M.D. began using Instagram, which his parents believed was safe. He used it like any other kid—trusting the platform while focusing on his friends, family, and dreams, including saving for a holiday to Marbella in the summer of 2024.

On December 29, 2023, after a relaxing evening at home, M.D. went upstairs to his room. That night, Instagram connected him to a predator posing as a young girl, who manipulated him into sending compromising photos and then threatened to expose them to his friends and family if he did not pay. Feeling trapped and terrified, M.D. died by suicide later that evening.

About L.M.

L.M. grew up in Pennsylvania, where hunting and firearm safety are part of the community. The youngest in his family, he was known for his humor, energy, and kindness, always making his parents smile and cherishing time outdoors playing sports or adventuring with loved ones.

His parents were cautious with technology, limiting screen time and closely monitoring devices. L.M. didn’t receive a phone until age 12. Even then, strict parental controls were in place, and app requests required approval. At 13, just before eighth grade, he asked to join Instagram. Trusting the platform’s reputation, his mother allowed him to open an account on August 18, 2024.

Two days later, L.M.’s life was cut short. Initially believed to be a hunting accident, police later revealed he had been targeted in a sextortion scheme on Instagram. A predator posing as a young girl manipulated him into sharing compromising photos, then demanded $300 and threatened to expose him to friends and family if he didn’t pay. Overwhelmed and unable to meet the demands, L.M. felt trapped and vulnerable. On August 20, 2024, he died by suicide, leaving behind a devastated family and community.

About the Social Media Victims Law Center

The Social Media Victims Law Center (SMVLC), socialmediavictims.org, was founded in 2021 to hold tech companies legally accountable for the harm they inflict on vulnerable users. SMVLC seeks to apply principles of product liability to force tech companies to elevate consumer safety to the forefront of its economic analysis and design safer products to protect users from foreseeable harm.

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