Over 30 US states sue Meta, accusing it of fuelling a youth mental health crisis

Dozens of US states, on Tuesday (Oct 24) filed a lawsuit against Instagram’s parent company Meta alleging that the social media platform contributes to the youth mental health crisis, is profiting “from children’s pain,” and misleading people about the safety of its platforms.

The lawsuit comes after a nationwide bipartisan investigation found that Meta has been “harming” children and teens due to the addictive nature of their social media platforms.

The latest lawsuit is among a string of legal actions against social media companies on behalf of children and teens.

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About the lawsuit

There are a total of more than 40 US states which are suing Meta but 33 of them have filed their complaint in a federal lawsuit as opposed to others which have sought to fight their case in local courts.

“In seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its Social Media Platforms,” said the joint lawsuit filed by more than 30 states, including California and Illinois in the city of Oakland.

It added, “Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens.”

The lawsuit argues that Meta has exploited young users by creating a business model designed to make them spend as much time as possible on the platform despite harm to their health.

It also accused Meta of knowingly inducing addictive and compulsive social media use despite knowing that teenage brains are susceptible to the need for approval in the form of “likes” from other users about their content.

“Meta did not disclose that its algorithms were designed to capitalize on young users’ dopamine responses and create an addictive cycle of engagement,” said the complaint.

The lawsuit also alleges Meta has violated a law banning the collection of data about children under the age of 13.

“Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement announcing the suit.

The suit has sought a variety of remedies, including substantial civil penalties. According to James, it also urges the federal court to order Meta to stop manipulative tactics.

Meta is ‘disappointed’

Meta has since responded to the lawsuit and said that it was “disappointed”that the attorneys general have chosen to single them out instead of seeking industry-wide solutions.

Instagram’s parent company also said that it has developed more than 30 tools in its apps to support teenage users, and made it easier for parents to “shape” online activity.

The lawsuit is said to have stemmed from a nationwide investigation announced in November of 2021. "Research has shown that young people’s use of Meta's social media platforms is associated with depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life, and many other negative outcomes," said the complaint.

“Our bipartisan investigation has arrived at a solemn conclusion: Meta has been harming our children and teens, cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits,” said California attorney general Rob Bonta, in a statement.

It added, “With today's lawsuit, we are drawing the line.” The investigation came after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked more than 20,000 pages of internal documents sparking criticism of the social media giant putting profit before the security of its users.

(With inputs from agencies)

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