Meta sued for allegedly harming youth's mental health
(Baonghean.vn) - Recently, more than 30 US states filed a lawsuit against Meta - the parent company of social media platforms Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, alleging that features on Facebook and Instagram harm the mental health of young people.
Dozens of U.S. states, including California and New York, are suing Meta Platforms Inc., alleging that the company is harming young people's mental health and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing features on Facebook and Instagram that make children addicted to the platforms.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in California, also claims that Meta routinely collected data on children under 13 without parental consent, in violation of federal law.
“Meta has exploited powerful and unprecedented technologies to lure, engage, and ultimately entrap young people,” the lawsuit states. “The company’s motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the significant dangers of its social media platforms. It has concealed the ways in which these platforms exploit and manipulate the most vulnerable: young people and children.”
Most importantly, the lawsuit alleges that Meta knew how its platform affected young people and failed to take appropriate action to protect them. Additionally, the plaintiffs allege that Meta, along with Instagram and Facebook, failed to comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
In addition to the 33 states, nine other attorneys general are also filing in their respective states, bringing the total number of states that have initiated lawsuits to 42.
“Children and teens are suffering from record levels of poor mental health, and social media companies like Meta must be held accountable,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “Meta has profited from children’s pain by deliberately designing its platform with manipulative features that keep children addicted to its platform while also lowering their self-esteem.”
Meanwhile, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said: “There is growing evidence that social media has a negative impact on our children. Evidence shows that spending more time on social media tends to be associated with depression, addiction and impacts on young people’s daily lives, including their education.”
The lawsuits seek to rein in social media by establishing new requirements for online platforms that want to offer services to teens and children, requiring parental consent before creating accounts for minors or verifying the age of users.
In a statement, Meta said it shares the attorneys general's commitment to providing teens with safe, positive online experiences and has introduced more than 30 tools to support teens and their families.
“We are disappointed that, rather than working effectively 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 company added.
The wide-ranging lawsuit is the result of an investigation led by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from states including California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont.
In 2021, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen shared internal Facebook documents and research with members of the US Congress. Frances Haugen alleged that the documents, collectively known as the Facebook Papers, demonstrated that Meta repeatedly and intentionally prioritized profit over the public interest.
The documents also allege that Meta knew that Instagram's content, filters, and features were causing body image issues, anxiety, and depression in teens, particularly teenage girls.
One internal study cited 13.5% of teenage girls saying Instagram made suicidal thoughts worse and 17% of teenage girls saying it made eating disorders worse.
In recent years, tech companies like Amazon, Google, YouTube, Microsoft and Meta have faced lawsuits in the US and the European Union for failing to comply with child online safety laws.
TikTok – a short video platform is also entangled in ongoing legal issues related to child safety, as an investigation by 46 US attorneys general is underway in 2022 to find out whether TikTok has violated consumer protection laws.
Lawmakers seem to understand the importance of children connecting online in the digital age, but it must be within appropriate boundaries. Lawyers and lawmakers agree that tech companies have a responsibility to improve safety measures on their platforms to keep children connected but still safe and healthy.
Although there is no comprehensive research, many researchers and mental health advocates blame social media for declining social skills, social integration, and the mental and emotional health of teens.