Forty-one states and Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit against Meta on Tuesday, alleging it designed and deployed features to Facebook and Instagram to addict younger users for profit.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleged Meta hid the amount of damage that its apps caused to teenagers and youth, including addictive behaviors and physical harm.The suit is the latest legal action in a barrage of filings against Big Tech companies trying to hold them accountable for their effects on teenagers.
“Given that children, when they’re on these platforms, become vulnerable to cyberbullying and online predators, Meta has added insult to injury, further injuring our children,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement. “I trust that the parents within Meta itself might reconsider these practices, but until then, initiating lawsuits should compel the company to change its ways.”This story is developing and will be updated. Check in later for more.