{"id":2078764,"date":"2023-10-25T08:21:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T12:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dozens-of-states-join-lawsuit-against-meta-for-targeting-vulnerable-children-with-addictive-features\/"},"modified":"2023-10-25T08:27:42","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T12:27:42","slug":"dozens-of-states-join-lawsuit-against-meta-for-targeting-vulnerable-children-with-addictive-features","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dozens-of-states-join-lawsuit-against-meta-for-targeting-vulnerable-children-with-addictive-features\/","title":{"rendered":"Many states sue Meta for targeting vulnerable children with &#8216;addictive&#8217; features."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdozens-of-states-join-lawsuit-against-meta-for-targeting-vulnerable-children-with-addictive-features%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2078764&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Over 30 U.S.\u200c States Join\u200c Lawsuit Against Instagram and Meta for Damaging Mental Health\u200c of Young \u2064Users<\/h2>\n<p>More than 30 U.S. states have united \u2063in a lawsuit against Instagram and its parent company Meta, alleging\u200c that the company has harmed \u2063the mental health \u200dof its younger users.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/67908468\/1\/the-people-of-the-state-of-california-v-meta-platforms-inc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">federal lawsuit<\/a> filed in \u200bthe U.S. \u2062District Court\u2062 for the Northern District of California with the\u2063 support of 33 bipartisan attorneys general, the complainants \u200baccused \u200cMeta, formerly known \u2063as Facebook, \u2063of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dozens-of-states-join-lawsuit-against-meta-for-targeting-vulnerable-children-with-addictive-features\/\" title=\"Many states sue Meta for targeting vulnerable children with 'addictive' features.\">deliberately implementing\u200d addictive\u2062 features targeting \u200byounger children<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Meta\u2019s\u2062 design choices and practices take advantage of and contribute \u2064to young\u2064 users\u2019 susceptibility to addiction,&#8221; the complaint reads. &#8220;They \u2062exploit psychological vulnerabilities of young users through the false promise that meaningful social connection lies in the next story, image, or video\u2062 and that ignoring the next piece\u2062 of social content\u2062 could lead to social isolation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Related \u2063Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/tech\/arkansas-sues-meta-tiktok-for-designing-addictive-platforms-exposing-personal-data-5156774?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Arkansas Sues \u200dMeta, TikTok for Designing &#8216;Addictive&#8217; Platforms, Exposing\u200c Personal Data<\/strong><\/a>  \u2063- \u200c3\/29\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/meta-sued-over-youth-addiction-to-social-media-5146828?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Meta Sued Over Youth Addiction to Social \u2063Media<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; \u200b3\/24\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#8220;Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and\u200c ultimately \u2063ensnare youth and teens,&#8221; the complaint continues. &#8220;Its motive is profit.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit highlights research that\u200c shows\u200b a connection between the use of these platforms and negative outcomes\u200c such as\u2063 depression, anxiety, insomnia, and interference \u2063with education\u200b and daily \u200clife.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The lawsuit also asserts that \u200cMeta violated various \u2064state-level consumer protection laws\u2063 and the federal \u2062Children&#8217;s Online Privacy Protection Act (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/legal-library\/browse\/rules\/childrens-online-privacy-protection-rule-coppa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">COPPA<\/a>), which\u200c prohibits companies \u2063from collecting personal information from children under 13 without parental consent.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;This is a tough time in America,&#8221; said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. &#8220;We have\u200b polarization the likes of which\u2064 we have not seen since\u200d the Civil War. And so for all of the attorneys general from \u200bboth parties, \u2062people who \u200bfrequently\u200b disagree very \u200bvocally and very \u2064publicly,\u200d to all come together and \u2064to move \u200din \u200bthe same direction, I think that says something.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Meta&#8217;s impact on the younger generation \u200cgained significant attention following a 2021\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739?mod=article_inline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a> from The Wall Street Journal, which revealed \u200binternal\u200d research leaked by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. \u2064The research exposed how Instagram worsened \u200cbody image concerns \u200damong certain adolescent girls.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;While Meta has publicly denied and downplayed these harmful effects, it\u2063 cannot credibly plead ignorance,&#8221; said New York Attorney General \u2062Letitia James \u200din a <a href=\"https:\/\/ag.ny.gov\/press-release\/2023\/attorney-general-james-and-multistate-coalition-sue-meta-harming-youth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Meta\u2019s own internal research documents show its awareness that its products harm young users. \u200dIndeed, internal studies that Meta \u200ccommissioned\u2014and kept private until \u200dthey were leaked \u2064by a whistleblower and publicly reported\u2014reveal that\u200d Meta \u2062has known for \u2063years\u2062 about these serious harms associated with young users\u2019 time spent on\u2063 its platforms.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the federal case, eight additional attorneys general from across the United States filed individual\u2063 lawsuits also \u200caccusing the company of failing younger users.<\/p>\n<p>Meta expressed disappointment with \u200dthe lawsuits, suggesting that the states should \u200bcollaborate with them to \u200dprotect younger \u2062people.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We share the attorneys general&#8217;s commitment to providing\u2063 teens\u2064 with safe, positive experiences online, and \u200chave already introduced over 30 tools to \u2062support teens and their\u200d families,&#8221; the company said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across \u2062the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for\u200c the many\u200d apps teens \u2064use, the attorneys general have chosen this \u200cpath.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Meta is not the\u200b only\u2064 company facing potential legal consequences. Google \u200cand ByteDance are\u2063 also confronting numerous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2023\/6\/2\/23746904\/maryland-school-meta-google-tiktok-snap-lawsuit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lawsuits<\/a> filed \u2064on behalf of minors and educational institutions, citing\u200d the addictive nature of platforms like YouTube and TikTok.<\/p>\n<p>If the lawsuit is successful,\u2063 Meta could face civil fines ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 per violation of various state regulations.<\/p>\n<p>This \u2063is not the first\u2063 time Meta has \u2062faced lawsuits regarding its manipulation\u2062 of younger\u2064 users. In March of this year,\u200c the San Mateo County \u2062Board of Education <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/meta-sued-over-youth-addiction-to-social-media-5146828\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">filed<\/a> a similar complaint,\u2063 stating \u2063that young people in America were experiencing their &#8220;most serious mental \u2062health crisis&#8221; in recent times.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Powerful corporations who wield unmatched, highly\u200b concentrated technology in pursuit of profit\u2062 are knowingly creating this unprecedented \u2064mental health crisis.\u2063 YouTube, Snap, TikTok, Meta, and their related companies have carefully cultivated the crisis,\u2062 which is \u2064a feature\u2014not a bug\u2014of their \u2064social media products,&#8221; the plaintiffs wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Even \u2063with only \u2063a small glimpse into\u200d what \u2062the YouTube, \u2062Meta, TikTok, and Snap companies know about this crisis, the public can now fairly conclude that the \u2063social media defendants&#8217; conduct \u2064was no accident, but rather that defendants acted knowingly, deliberately, and intentionally.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What steps has Meta taken to address concerns about the impact of social media\u200b on young people?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  On our platforms,\u201d Meta said in a statement. \u201cWe have taken \u200dsignificant steps to address concerns about the impact of social media on young people, from investing in new features \u200caimed at promoting well-being to helping parents and guardians navigate their children\u2019s online experiences. We are firmly committed\u2063 to \u2063building a safer and\u200c more positive digital environment for all users, and we \u2064believe the\u2063 best way to achieve this is \u200dthrough\u200b collaboration and cooperation between industry, \u2062government, and civil society.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit\u2062 against Instagram \u200cand Meta comes at a time when the \u200deffects of social media on mental health, particularly among young\u200b users, have become a subject of increasing concern. Studies have \u2062shown a correlation between excessive social media use and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/study-shows-effects-of-pandemic-life-changes-on-mothers\/\" title=\"Study Shows Effects Of Pandemic Life Changes On Mothers\">negative mental health outcomes<\/a>, such as anxiety, depression,\u200c and poor sleep quality. Additionally, the addictive features\u200d of these \u200dplatforms and the constant exposure to carefully curated content have been found to contribute to feelings of social isolation and a distorted sense of reality.<\/p>\n<p>The attorneys general\u200c involved \u2064in the \u2062lawsuit\u200b argue that Meta deliberately designed these addictive features to target younger users, taking advantage of their vulnerability and susceptibility\u2064 to addiction.\u2064 They also allege that \u2064the company violated\u200b consumer protection laws and the Children&#8217;s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which seeks to safeguard children&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oklahoma-governor-signs-bill-to-protect-drivers-fleeing-a-riot\/\" title=\"Oklahoma Governor Signs Bill To Protect Drivers Fleeing A Riot\">personal information online<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200dcase against Instagram and Meta gained traction after internal research conducted by \u2062Meta itself, leaked by a whistleblower, revealed the company&#8217;s awareness of the harmful effects\u2064 of its platforms on young users. This research showed that Instagram exacerbated body image concerns among certain adolescent girls and raised serious questions about Meta&#8217;s responsibility and \u200bethical practices.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that attorneys general from both political parties have joined forces in this \u2064lawsuit underscores the urgency and gravity of the issue. It highlights the growing consensus among policymakers that \u2062action must be taken to protect young users from the potentially harmful effects of social media.<\/p>\n<p>Meta&#8217;s response\u2064 to the lawsuits suggests that the company is committed to addressing these\u200b concerns and ensuring the safety and well-being of its users, particularly younger ones. However, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-attorney-general-joins-27-other-states-in-petition-to-end-bidens-catch-and-release-border-patrol-policy\/\" title=\"Florida AG joins 27 states to halt Biden's 'Catch and Release' border policy.\">attorney generals argue<\/a> that Meta&#8217;s actions have not been sufficient, and legal action\u2062 is necessary to hold the company accountable.<\/p>\n<p>As the lawsuit progresses, it will be \u2063important to \u2063closely examine the evidence presented and the arguments put forth by both sides. The outcome of this case could \u2062have significant implications not only for Meta and Instagram \u200cbut for the broader social media\u200b industry as a whole. It may set \u2064a precedent for future regulation and oversight of these platforms to protect\u2063 the mental health and well-being of young users.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>include over 30 U.S. states. They accuse Instagram and Meta of harming the mental well-being of young users. The lawsuit, backed by 33 attorneys general from both political parties, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2379,"featured_media":2078765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2078764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2078764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2379"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2078764"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2078764\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2078765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2078764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2078764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2078764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}