News Articles
In a significant legal development, 42 state attorneys general from all political persuasions have come together to file lawsuits against Meta. They are claiming that some of the features on Facebook and Instagram are addictive and deliberately targeted to children and young adults.
Meta is facing several lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions, with Attorneys General from 33 states filing a federal suit in the Northern District of California and nine additional attorneys general pursuing action in their respective states. These lawsuits reflect a shared concern among state law enforcers about protecting young children and teenagers from online harm.
During a press conference after the lawsuit was filed, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti stated, "This is a tough time in America; we have polarization, the likes of which we have not seen since the Civil War, and so for all these Attorneys General from both parties, people who frequently disagree very vocally and very publicly, to all come together and to move in the same direction, I think that says something."
The allegations revolve around Meta's features on Facebook and Instagram, which the attorneys general argue are designed to keep young users engaged for extended periods and encourage repeated use. They point to algorithms, alerts, notifications, and the infinite scroll feature that can contribute to addiction and claim that features like "likes" and photo filters damage teenagers' mental health by promoting social comparison and body image concerns.
The lawsuits also claim that Meta is breaching the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal data from users under 13 without having parental consent. The AGs want these practices to end and are seeking penalties and compensation.
The Attorneys General also asserted that Meta was fully aware of the damaging effects of these features on minors, quoting internal Meta research documents leaked by a whistleblower, which indicated that Meta had known about the harm its products could inflict on children for years.
These cases are part of a broader industry-wide investigation, and the AGs hope it will result in settlements and encourage other companies to employ better practices. Protecting children's online safety and mental health has gained widespread attention and support, and the lawsuit against Meta is a strong example of the bipartisan cooperation needed to address important consumer protection concerns, making the online world safer for all users, especially children.