California attorney general Rob Bonta said an investigation found that Meta has been getting young people addicted to its platforms for ‘corporate profits’.
A coalition of 33 US attorneys general have filed a federal lawsuit against Meta, accusing the tech giant of harmful actions against children and teenagers.
The lawsuit claims Meta has designed and deployed “harmful features” on Instagram and Facebook, which get younger people addicted to these platforms. The coalition of attorneys general are seeking “injunctive and monetary relief” to address the alleged misconduct.
New York attorney general Letitia James said nine additional attorneys general are filing lawsuits in their respective state courts, which means 42 attorneys general are taking action against Meta.
“Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame,” James said. “Meta has profited from children’s pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem.
“Social media companies, including Meta, have contributed to a national youth mental health crisis and they must be held accountable.”
California attorney general Rob Bonta said the complaints are the result of a nationwide investigation that he announced in 2021. He claims this bipartisan investigation found that Meta has been “cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits”.
“With today’s lawsuit, we are drawing the line,” Bonta said. “We must protect our children and we will not back down from this fight. I am grateful for the collaboration of my fellow state attorneys general in standing up for our children and holding Meta accountable.”
Among the misconduct claims, the federal complaint claims that Meta created a business model that focused on maximising the time young people spend on its platforms and that the company published reports showing misleadingly low rates of harm.
The lawsuit also claims that Meta refused to address issues relating to the negative effects its sites were causing, despite overwhelming evidence.
Earlier this year, the tech giant faced renewed pressure to pay for its alleged role in exacerbating the Rohingya genocide through disinformation spread on Facebook.
10 things you need to know direct to your inbox every weekday. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of essential sci-tech news.
