42 states’ Attorneys General have joined forces for this Meta lawsuit against the tech giant formerly known as Facebook. They accuse the company of deliberately shaping its products to target children, potentially harming their mental well-being. This lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, has created a powerful alliance of states, including California, Colorado, New York, Arizona, and Illinois.
The central claim is that Meta has violated state and federal laws in its relentless pursuit of luring young users in the United States to spend more time on Facebook and Instagram. This legal showdown has major implications, shedding light on Meta’s use of cutting-edge technologies to captivate the youth for profit.
According to the lawsuit, the corporation used innovative technology to recruit, engage, and retain young people in the quest for profit. This commitment is bolstered by the fact that nine more Attorneys General have filed individual lawsuits in their respective states and the District of Columbia, voicing the same concerns about Meta’s misleading tactics impacting underage users.
Meta lawsuit: Alleged violations and their impact
The case hinges on various alleged breaches of rules intended to safeguard young customers. According to TechCrunch, Meta has been “maximizing” children’s time and attention on its platforms by leveraging seductive product design while downplaying the concerns of young users.
Furthermore, it implies that the corporation has disregarded internal and external data, demonstrating that social media platforms may harm young users. Although the complaint does not divulge several accusations concerning Facebook and Instagram’s negative impact on youngsters, the data offered is persuasive.
For example, California Attorney General Rob Bonta notes that excessive social media use has been connected to sleep problems, focus troubles, and feelings of alienation in young people. The complaint explicitly mentions the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), stating that Meta gathers data from users under 13 without parental agreement, violating this federal statute. In addition to COPPA, the action claims that Meta’s commercial methods directed at young consumers violate state consumer protection laws.
Nonetheless, the Attorney General’s combined complaint constitutes a concerted legal assault on a major social media corporation. This initiative is important given the relative paucity of government action in regulating social media networks in the United States. While the United States Congress has failed to hold these platforms responsible for their societal consequences, state authorities have grabbed this regulatory hole.
Potential path forward
Paul Barrett, Deputy Director and Senior Research Scholar at the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, notes that state leaders are strategically filling this “regulatory vacuum.” In this lawsuit, their goal may not be solely to win in court but to reach a settlement with Meta that could lead to changes mitigating the identified harms. By targeting Meta, these Attorneys General could set a precedent for the entire industry.
The outcome of this legal battle remains uncertain, but it’s clear that Meta faces intense scrutiny from a bipartisan coalition of most U.S. states in the name of safeguarding the well-being of children. Protecting the future of American youth and the impact of social media on their lives is a goal that transcends political boundaries, making this lawsuit a focal point of national attention and concern.
Featured image credit: Dima Solomin/Unsplash
