Over 40 US states sue Meta for benefiting from ‘children’s pain’. On Tuesday, dozens of US states accused Facebook and Instagram owner and social media behemoth Meta of engaging in dishonest and illegal behavior in order to profit “from children’s suffering” by harming vulnerable youth.
“In seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its Social Media Platforms,” argued a joint lawsuit filed in federal court in California.
According to AFP, more than 40 states are involved in the lawsuit against Meta, though some chose to file in state courts instead of joining the federal one.
According to the legal filing, Meta exploited young users by developing a business model intended to maximize the amount of time they spend on the platform despite harm to their health.
“Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement announcing the suit.
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“Meta has profited from children´s pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem.”
As over 40 US states sue Meta for benefiting from ‘children’s pain’, according to James, the lawsuit asks the federal court to order Meta to stop using manipulative strategies and to pay hefty financial penalties as well as restitution.
“Social media companies, including Meta, have contributed to a national youth mental health crisis and they must be held accountable,” James said.
A few states have passed legislation that forbids minors from using social media without their parents’ consent.
