Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced Tuesday that the state is suing Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for allegedly targeting and harming young users.
Ferguson joins 41 additional state AGs in the legal action.
The lawsuit claims: “Meta designed and deployed harmful and psychologically manipulative product features to induce young users’ compulsive and extended Platform use, while falsely assuring the public that its features were safe and suitable for young users.”
Its specific allegations of harm include:
- misleading the public about the dangers of its platforms;
- concealing its efforts to “exploit and manipulate its most vulnerable consumers: teenagers and children;”
- ignoring the damage caused to youth;
- and refusing to stop the use of “known harmful features.”
The 233-page lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. It claims that Meta’s actions violate state consumer protection laws and the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
“We share the attorneys general’s commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families,” a Meta spokesperson said by email in response to the suit.
“We’re disappointed,” the spokesperson continued, “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.”
The suit asks the court for a “permanent injunction to stop ongoing violations and prevent future violations of the COPPA Rule by Meta” and asks for damages, restitution and other compensation. The states also make additional requests for resolving case.
Ferguson asks for civil penalties and enhanced civil penalties of up to $12,500 for each violation of Washington state law. He further asks for money, property and data acquired by Meta as a result of the conduct being targeted by the suit.
At a Seattle event last week, Instagram head Adam Mosseri promoted the platform’s efforts to safeguard teens. His audience was a group of roughly three dozen online influencers who post content about parenting issues.
“Our role on the Instagram app is to make sure that the experience is safe and age appropriate,” Mosseri told the small crowd, “no matter what age you are.”
The lawsuit attacks Meta’s fundamental business model, which relies on ad revenue based on the amount of time and engagement of its users.
Katie Davis, an associate professor at the University of Washington’s Information School and co-director of the UW Digital Youth Lab, also spoke at the event with Mosseri. Her lab is exploring how social media platforms could change their business model to measure and value the well-being of its users.
“The business model that’s used by [social media] platforms is engagement — more engagement, more advertisers, that’s what they’re looking for,” Davis told GeekWire. “But how might you build in well-being into that business model? I think some regulation is required to nudge or even compel companies to do that.”
There is mounting pressure through lawsuits and legislation to address social media’s impact.
In May, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy expressed concern about the negative role of social media on the nation’s youth mental health crisis.
And even before Murthy’s pronouncement, two Washington state school districts in January sued Meta, TikTok, YouTube and others, asking for damages to help pay for the growing demand for mental health services in their schools and calling on the companies to stop the actions allegedly fueling the crisis.
Lawmakers in states including California, Texas, Arkansas, Montana and Utah have passed legislation targeting kids’ safety and privacy on social media — though the courts have blocked some of the efforts on First Amendment grounds.
