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Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta has been accused of misleading the public about the dangers of using social media, contributing to a mental health crisis among young people.
The allegations were made in a federal lawsuit, which was announced by dozens of US states. They said the company used addictive features to make users "fall into a trap", hiding the "core risks" of its platforms.
The lawsuit stated that Meta had broken consumer protection laws by engaging in "fraudulent" behavior.
The company was also said to have collected data on children under the age of 13, in breach of its obligations under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
"Social media companies, including Meta, have contributed to a national youth mental health crisis and they must be held accountable ," said New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of 33 attorneys general who signed the lawsuit.
Nine other states also made similar claims in their lawsuits. There was no lack of Meta's reaction either, her spokesperson said:
“ We share the attorneys general's commitment to providing teens with safe and positive online experiences, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families. We are disappointed that instead of working productively to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps that teens use, attorneys general have chosen this path. "
Meta and other social media companies are already facing hundreds of lawsuits in the US brought by families, youth and school districts over the impact on mental health. This marks the largest share to date.
It follows an investigation into the company's practices in 2021 by several state prosecutors after a whistleblower, Frances Haugen, testified in the US that the company knew its products could harm children. States are seeking financial damages and the prohibition of harmful practices.
A large part of the lawsuit was edited by the public. But it specifically names features like likes, alerts and filters that it says are "known to fuel body dysmorphia in young users." Body dysmorphia causes a person to spend a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance, and often these perceived flaws are unnoticeable to others.
"Meta's design choices and practices benefit and contribute to the susceptibility of young users to addiction ," the lawsuit states.
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