Thirty-three state attorneys general are suing Meta Inc., the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, claiming that its platforms harm the mental and physical wellbeing of minors.
The lawsuit alleges that Meta broke federal and state laws, including violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting the data of its young users without their parents consent. Under COPPA, Meta has to obtain verifiable parental consent for Instagram and Facebook users under 13.
However, children under 13 aren’t allowed to be on Facebook or Instagram at all. The suit alleges that Meta’s practices and policies were insufficient for them to be barred from the apps, which resulted in the collection of their data.
According to the lawsuit, the company was aware of the negative impacts their products have on teenagers through internal studies but has chosen to deny and downplay the effects of the products and declare its platforms safe.
Meta issued a statement to the Associated Press, claiming it had “introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families.”
According to Meta’s website, some of those tools include parents being able to initiate supervision tools through Instagram, limit their teens’ use of the app during the day or week and see additional information involving their children reporting accounts or posts.
It continued: “We’re disappointed that 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 lawsuit details other ways states believe Meta is harming young users by deliberately putting profit above their mental and physical safety through deception, relying on a business model aimed at attracting young audiences through targeted ads and ensuring they’re using both apps as much as possible.
This, the states allege, has resulted in teens showing symptoms of depression, anxiety and insomnia….
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