33 States Join , Lawsuit Against Meta, For Targeting Children.
NBC reports that a bipartisan group of 33 state attorney
generals are suing Facebook parent company Meta
over addictive features targeting children and teens.
According to a complaint filed in California federal
court, state AGs allege that Meta designed its
products to keep young users on the platform. .
The federal complaint accuses Meta of accomplishing
this with algorithms, alerts, notifications and
infinite scroll through feeds on the platforms. .
The federal complaint accuses Meta of accomplishing
this with algorithms, alerts, notifications and
infinite scroll through feeds on the platforms. .
AGs allege that other features have a negative impact on
the mental health of teens, including issues ranging
from social comparison to promoting body dysmorphia. .
According to the federal suit, Meta also violated
the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
(COPPA) by collecting the personal data of users
under the age of 13 without parental consent. .
NBC reports that the states are looking to
bring Meta's harmful practices to an end,
while also seeking penalties and restitution.
NBC reports that the states are looking to
bring Meta's harmful practices to an end,
while also seeking penalties and restitution.
AGs claim that Meta was fully
aware of the potential negative impact
its designs would have on young users. .
In 2021, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen
leaked Meta documents revealing
internal research on the company's products.
One of the internal studies on
Instagram's impact on teens found that , "thirty-two percent of teen girls said that
when they felt bad about their bodies,
Instagram made them feel worse.".
NBC reports that several of the practices cited by AGs are
similar to those employed by other social media platforms,
which also use algorithms to ensure user engagement. .
NBC reports that several of the practices cited by AGs are
similar to those employed by other social media platforms,
which also use algorithms to ensure user engagement.