IG is a Drug: Leaked Internal Messages Could Cost Meta Billions in Historic Trial
The “Smoking Gun” in Silicon Valley For years, parents have whispered it at dinner tables: “My kid is addicted to this phone.” For years, tech giants denied it. But now, inside a Los Angeles courtroom, the truth is finally spilling out—and it’s coming from inside the house.
In a bombshell development at the ongoing Social Media Addiction Trial, unsealed internal documents have revealed that Meta employees privately compared their own platform to a narcotic. One chilling message sent by a Meta researcher bluntly stated: “IG is a drug.”
This isn’t just a PR nightmare; it could be the evidence that forces Mark Zuckerberg’s empire to pay billions in damages and changes the internet forever.
The Leaked Messages: “We Are Basically Pushers”
The court filings paint a picture of a company that knew exactly what it was doing. According to reports from The Guardian and court documents, employees didn’t just know about the addiction—they joked about it.
Here are the most damning revelations exposed in the trial:
- “IG is a Drug”: In a candid chat, a Meta user experience researcher admitted, “Oh my gosh yall IG is a drug”.
- The “Pushers” Confession: Another employee allegedly messaged, “lol, we’re basically pushers,” drawing a direct parallel between social media algorithms and drug dealing.
- The Tobacco Comparison: Lawyers for the plaintiffs are arguing that this is Meta’s “Big Tobacco” moment—comparing these leaked documents to when cigarette companies were caught hiding the cancer risks of smoking.
The Stakes: Why This Trial is Different
This isn’t just another lawsuit. It is the first major Social Media Addiction Trial involving hundreds of families and school districts. If Meta loses, the consequences could be catastrophic for their business model:
- Billions in Damages: Just like the tobacco settlements of the 90s, Meta could be forced to pay massive payouts to families of teens who suffered from depression, eating disorders, or suicide.
- Forced App Changes: The court could force Instagram to remove “addictive features” like infinite scroll and autoplay, effectively killing the “doom scrolling” that keeps users hooked.
- Warning Labels: We might soon see “Surgeon General Warnings” pop up every time you open the app, reminding you that this product is addictive.
For Parents: What Should You Do?
These revelations are terrifying for any parent raising a “screen-ager.” The internal admission that the platform is designed to be a “drug” validates what many families have felt for a decade.
If you are worried about your teen:
- Check the Settings: Use the new parental controls, but know that they might not be enough against an algorithm designed to override willpower.
- Have the Talk: Treat social media like any other addictive substance. Open communication is your best defense until the courts decide if Meta needs to be regulated like a cigarette company.
The Verdict?
The trial is just beginning, but one thing is clear: The days of tech companies claiming “we didn’t know” are over. The receipts are out, and they say “IG is a drug.”
