Dozens of US States File Lawsuit Against Meta for Fueling Child National Mental Health Crisis

More than three dozen states filed lawsuits against Meta Platforms Inc. on Tuesday, alleging its platforms purposefully utilized features on Instagram and Facebook that were addictive and harmful to children and young people.

Filed in California, the lawsuit alleges that Meta consistently aggregates data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent.

Today’s multi-state federal suit includes California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Adolescence and childhood represent a crucial stage in brain development that can make young people more vulnerable to detriment from social media. Numerous studies have demonstrated that social media can cause an expansive range of negative mental health effects for children and young adults. Social media feeds are often designed to gather personal data intended to keep them on the platform for as long as possible.

“Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its social media platforms,” the complaint reads. “It has concealed the ways in which these platforms exploit and manipulate its most vulnerable consumers: teenagers and children.”

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

The Pew Research Center notes that as many as 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 in the U.S. report using a social media platform. More than a third say they use social media “almost constantly.” Thirty-three states have already filed the lawsuits, while nine other attorneys general are filing in their respective states— bringing the total number of states to 42.

“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,” said Letitia James, the attorney general for New York. “Social media companies, including Meta, have contributed to a national youth mental health crisis and they must be held accountable. I am proud to join my fellow attorneys general to stop Meta’s harmful tactics and keep children safe online.”

Meta claims they have been working on creating a healthier platform for minors.

“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,” the company said.