Headline: Over 40 US States File Lawsuit Accusing Meta’s Facebook and Instagram of Harming Youth
Subtitle: Technology giant faces legal action over alleged harm to physical and mental health of young people
More than forty states in the United States have filed a lawsuit against technology giant Meta, accusing its social networks Facebook and Instagram of causing harm to the “physical and mental health of young people.” The lawsuit, presented on Tuesday in a California court, alleges that Meta exploited powerful technologies to attract and trap young people, solely for profit. Attorneys general from the states involved in the complaint have accused the Californian group of concealing the manipulative practices employed by these platforms and neglecting the considerable harm caused to the mental and physical health of young individuals in the country.
In response to the lawsuit, Meta expressed disappointment that attorneys general chose litigation instead of collaborating with companies in the sector to establish clear and age-appropriate regulations for the numerous applications used by teenagers. The spokesperson for Meta underscored the group’s commitment to providing teens with safe and positive online experiences and highlighted the introduction of over 30 tools aimed at supporting teens and their families.
This legal action follows investigations initiated in 2021 into the methods employed by Facebook and Instagram, which have been characterized as “addictive” by US authorities. The decision to take legal action was prompted by a former Facebook employee, Frances Haugen, who raised concerns about the company’s practices. Haugen leaked over 20,000 pages of internal documents and accused the social network of prioritizing profits over user safety.
The complaint filed on Tuesday asserts that Facebook and Instagram intentionally designed features to manipulate young users into compulsive and prolonged use of the platforms. Prosecutors accuse Meta of deceiving the public by claiming the safety and suitability of its products for teenagers, while allegedly publishing misleading reports about them. Additionally, Meta is charged with violations of the Children’s Privacy Act.
The states involved in the lawsuit are seeking court orders to compel Meta to end its harmful practices and demand payment of fines. This legal action signifies a point of no return for the cooperation between tech giants and the government, with the issue of children’s safety drawing bipartisan support from elected representatives.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated, “With today’s legal action, we draw a line that should not be crossed. We must protect our children, and we will not back down in this fight.”
In addition to this lawsuit, several other cases jointly filed by multiple states against technology companies are currently being processed, particularly concerning matters of monopoly.