42 states in the United States, US, are suing Meta, the tech giant behind social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, for allegedly contributing to a menta health crisis among teenagers, on Tuesday, 24th October, 2023.
The Attorneys General of the States claim that Meta has exploited and misled young people, violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting data on children under 13 without parental consent.
A class suit was filed by 33 states in a California federal court, while the nine other states sued the company in their respective jurisdictions.
Some of the states dragging Meta to court include California, New York, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and several others.
The lawsuit accuses Meta of designing social media apps to foster addiction through algorithms, alerts, notifications, and infinite scroll features.
In response, Meta expressed disappointment, emphasizing its commitment to providing safe online experiences for teens.
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.
Meta
This legal action follows a 2021 report by The Wall Street Journal, which revealed that Meta was aware of the negative impact Instagram had on teenagers’ mental health.
Story: Christy Dung