The attorneys general of US states are suing Instagram and its parent company Meta, reportedly alleging that features on its Facebook and Instagram social media platforms are addictive and are aimed at kids and teens.
As per available sources, Meta is currently facing multiple lawsuits on this issue in several districts. Attorneys general from 33 states filed a federal suit against Meta in the Northern District of California, while nine additional attorneys general are filing in their own states, according to a press release from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office. Besides New York, the states that filed the federal suit include California, Colorado, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin.
The suit alleges that Meta strives to ensure that young people spend as much time as possible on social media despite knowing that teenage brains are susceptible to the need for approval in the form of likes from other users about their content.
“At a time when our nation is not seeing the level of bipartisan problem-solving collaboration that we need, you can see it here among this group of attorneys general,” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D), who is co-leading the federal suit, said during a joint news conference Tuesday.
Latest media reports suggests, the states contend that research has linked children’s use of Meta’s social media platforms to adverse outcomes, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, educational interference, and disruptions in daily life.
Meta expressed disappointment with the lawsuit and criticised the attorney general for not collaborating with the industry to establish clear, age-appropriate standards for teen app usage. “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.
The effect of Meta’s products on young people was thrust into the national spotlight after a 2021 Wall Street Journal report detailed internal research, leaked by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, showing that Instagram worsened body issues for some teen girls.
