A bipartisan coalition of 33 attorneys general filed a lawsuit against Meta in the Northern District of California on Tuesday, accusing the social media company of harming the mental health of young people.
According to the lawsuit, Meta targeted its products, including the social media platform Facebook, at younger users while intentionally designing features that “cause psychological and physical harm to young users” and promoting “compulsive, chronic and unhealthy use.”
Those features include algorithms to keep users on the platform, social comparison features like “likes,” visual products like filters that promote body dysmorphia, and user experience tools like “infinite scroll” designs, the lawsuit says. The indictment also alleges that Meta issued “grossly misleading public reports” intended to downplay the impact of its platform.
“Poor mental health among children and teens is at an all-time high, and social media companies like Meta are culpable,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “Social media companies, including Meta They must be held accountable for contributing to the national youth mental health crisis.”
The lawsuit seeks an injunction against the harmful practice, as well as damages, restitution and other compensation.
Federal lawsuits starting in 2023 allegedly Engineers and senior Meta leaders, including Zuckerberg, understand the dangers of social media, and some employees have expressed concerns about the impact of its products.plaintiff include school districts and local and state governments.
In January 2022, James led a multi-state, bipartisan coalition of 48 attorneys general. struggle The company is suspected of “suppressing competition and protecting its monopoly power.” The lawsuit also comes on the heels of several studies, including one conducted by Meta, that demonstrated a link between social media use and psychological and physical harm.
In addition to the federal lawsuit, nine attorneys general have filed lawsuits in their own state courts, and a total of 42 state attorneys general took action against the social media giant on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This story is developing and will be updated continuously.
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