NEW YORK — Following Mark Zuckerberg’s public apology, the state of New York has decided to take on some of the biggest social media platforms in a landmark lawsuit. TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube have all been accused of contributing to a “mental crisis” among young people, specifically in New York.
Mayor Eric Adams announced the lawsuit, stating, “New York is the first major American city to take a step of this size to denounce the impact of social media platforms on the mental health of our youth.” The lawsuit alleges that these platforms have “fueled a mental crisis among young people on a national scale” and have reached “levels that had not previously occurred or never seen” in New York.
The lawsuit marks a significant move by a major city to hold Big Tech accountable for the impact of their platforms on mental health. With concerns growing over the influence of social media on young people, this legal action is likely to be closely watched by other cities and states grappling with similar issues.
The accused platforms have yet to respond publicly to the lawsuit, but this legal battle is likely to spark further debates about the responsibilities of social media companies in protecting the mental health of their users.