Attorneys general from multiple U.S. states are taking legal action against Instagram and its parent company, Meta, alleging that they are causing harm to young users and contributing to a mental health crisis among the youth due to the addictive nature of their social media platforms.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Oakland, California, accuses Meta, which also owns Facebook, of repeatedly misleading the public about the significant risks associated with its platforms and intentionally encouraging addictive and compulsive use among young children and teenagers.
Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage and ultimately ensnare youth and teens, its motive is profit.
said the complaint, filed by 33 states including California and Illinois
The suit contends that Meta’s primary objective is to ensure that young individuals spend as much time as possible on their social media, despite being aware of the vulnerability of teenage brains to seek approval in the form of likes from other users. The lawsuit further claims that Meta has deceptively denied the harmful effects of its social media platforms in public statements. An additional nine states are expected to file similar lawsuits, bringing the total number of states involved to 42.
The lawsuit seeks various remedies, including substantial civil penalties. This legal action is the most recent in a series of efforts to scrutinize social media companies, which have come under fire for their extensive influence and what critics view as insufficient federal oversight.
Carl Tobias, the chair of the University of Richmond School of Law, explained that the central argument is that Meta uses user data to maximize the engagement of young users, even as the company conducts internal research on potential harm caused by its products.
Concerns about the impact of social media on children’s mental health peaked in 2021 when Frances Haugen, a former employee turned whistleblower, revealed internal documents indicating that Instagram exacerbated body image issues for some teenage girls, and Meta was aware of this. These revelations, referenced in the lawsuit, led to a congressional hearing on the effects of social media on young people.
In his State of the Union address in February, President Joe Biden addressed the negative mental health effects of social media on young users and called on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to address the issue. In May, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a formal advisory on the same topic.
Meta and other social media companies are already facing numerous lawsuits brought on behalf of children and school districts making similar claims.
Earlier this year, attorneys representing over 100 families filed a master complaint accusing social media companies, including Meta, Snapchat, Google, and TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, of harming young people with their products. This case is ongoing. In a joint statement, the attorneys involved in that case welcomed the action taken by U.S. attorneys general, highlighting the urgent need to address the impact of addictive and harmful social media platforms, which they argue is a matter of paramount concern nationwide and contributes to a pervasive mental health crisis among American youth.
This significant step underscores the undeniable urgency of addressing the impact of addictive and harmful social media platforms, a matter of paramount concern nationwide, as it continues to contribute to a pervasive mental health crisis among American youth.
the attorneys from that case applauded the move from US attorneys general
Meta released a statement, expressing its commitment to making online spaces safe for teenagers.
We’re disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path.
a spokesperson from Meta
