33 Attorneys General File Lawsuit Against Meta Alleging Deliberate Design of Social Media Platforms to be Addictive to Children and Teens

A bipartisan group of 33 attorneys general have filed a lawsuit against tech giant Meta in a federal court in California, alleging that the company has deliberately designed its social media platforms Instagram and Facebook to be addictive to children and teens.

The lawsuit claims that Meta was motivated to keep children hooked in order to boost profits, and alleges that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of federal law. It also claims that features like “infinite scroll” and constant streams of alerts are contributing to the mental health crisis that now affects many young people.

The lawsuit is the latest legal challenge for the company and is another demonstration of the bipartisan priority that state law enforcers have placed on protecting kids and teens from online harm. The support from so many state attorneys general of different political backgrounds indicates a significant legal challenge to Meta’s business.

Meta has yet to comment on the lawsuit, but the company has previously stated that it is committed to protecting the safety and well-being of young people on its platforms. It has also implemented a number of measures to help protect children and teens, including age-appropriate privacy settings and tools to help parents manage their children’s online activity.

The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal challenges against tech companies over their handling of children’s data and their use of addictive features to keep users engaged. It remains to be seen how the lawsuit will affect Meta’s business, but it is clear that state law enforcers are taking the issue of protecting kids and teens from online harm seriously.