{"id":2079688,"date":"2023-10-26T03:08:03","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T07:08:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-leads-group-of-33-attorneys-general-in-lawsuit-against-meta\/"},"modified":"2023-10-26T03:10:31","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T07:10:31","slug":"california-leads-group-of-33-attorneys-general-in-lawsuit-against-meta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-leads-group-of-33-attorneys-general-in-lawsuit-against-meta\/","title":{"rendered":"California leads 33 AGs in lawsuit against Meta."},"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\">16<\/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%2Fcalifornia-leads-group-of-33-attorneys-general-in-lawsuit-against-meta%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=2079688&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--><blockquote>\n<h2>California Attorney General Leads Lawsuit\u2063 Against Facebook and Instagram<\/h2>\n<p>California Attorney General Rob Bonta is spearheading a coalition of 33 attorneys\u2062 general in \u2062a federal \u2064lawsuit against Meta \u200bPlatforms\u2014the parent company \u200bof Facebook and Instagram. The lawsuit accuses\u2062 the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kash-patel-deep-state-will-turn-on-democrats\/\" title=\"Kash Patel predicts Democrats will face backlash from the 'Deep State'.\">social media\u200d giant<\/a> \u2064of using app features that harm children and\u2063 teenagers.<\/p>\n<p>As part of this effort, eight \u2062attorneys general have also filed lawsuits against Meta in state courts, according to Mr.\u2062 Bonta&#8217;s announcement on \u200bOctober 24.<\/p>\n<p>These legal actions, both at the federal and state levels, stem from a nationwide investigation that began in \u200cNovember \u200c2021.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/california-ag-doubles-down-on-secret-gender-identity-policy-5505065?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">California\u2063 AG Doubles Down on Secret Gender Identity Policy<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/6\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/california-ag-doubles-down-on-secret-gender-identity-policy-5505065?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n<picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" https:><\/source>\n<\/picture>\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/bonta-urges-albertsons-to-delay-4-billion-investor-payout-until-after-merger-review-4823312?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">Bonta Urges Albertsons to Delay $4 Billion Investor Payout Until After Merger Review<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/26\/2022<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/bonta-urges-albertsons-to-delay-4-billion-investor-payout-until-after-merger-review-4823312?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n<picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" https:><\/source>\n<\/picture>\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cOur bipartisan investigation has \u2062arrived at a solemn conclusion: Meta has been harming our\u2063 children and teens, cultivating addiction \u2063to boost\u2064 corporate profits,\u201d stated Mr. Bonta on\u2064 Tuesday. \u201cWith today\u2019s lawsuit, we are drawing the line. We\u200b must protect our children,\u200d and we\u2064 will not back down from \u200dthis fight. I am grateful for the collaboration of my \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blackwell-roman-one-biden-vax-mandate-down-3-to-go\/\" title=\"Blackwell &#038; Roman: One Biden Vax Mandate Down, 3 to Go\">fellow state attorneys general<\/a> in standing up for \u200bour children and holding Meta accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The \u200bfederal lawsuit alleges that \u2063Meta, led by founder\u2064 and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has violated federal and state\u200b laws, including the federal Children\u2019s Online\u2064 Privacy Protection Act, which safeguards the online privacy of children under 13. It also accuses Meta of violating California\u2019s False Advertising Law\u2064 and Unfair Competition Law, which prohibit deceptive and \u200dunfair business practices.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\">\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>  California \u200cAttorney \u2064General Rob Bonta speaks during a news \u200cconference outside of \u200can Amazon \u200ddistribution facility in San Francisco, California on Nov. 15, 2021. (Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The claim \u200cfurther alleges that Meta has violated various other state\u2063 laws\u200c related to consumer protection, business\u2062 practices,\u2063 and fair trade.<\/p>\n<p>The attorneys general are seeking court intervention to \u2064halt Meta&#8217;s\u200b practices that violate federal and state\u2064 laws. They are also requesting monetary relief for\u2062 damages and \u2064attorney fees.<\/p>\n<p>The federal \u200bcomplaint asserts that Meta \u2062has developed\u2063 a business model \u2063that prioritizes maximizing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-leads-group-of-33-attorneys-general-in-lawsuit-against-meta\/\" title=\"California leads 33 AGs in lawsuit against Meta.\">time young users spend<\/a> on its platforms. It also accuses the company of employing harmful and manipulative features while misleading the public about their safety.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, the attorneys general claim that Meta publishes misleading reports on low rates of user\u200c harm and, despite overwhelming evidence, refuses to address these issues \u2063while downplaying the adverse effects of its platforms, according to Mr. Bonta.<\/p>\n<p>Joining California in the lawsuit are the\u200d states of Arizona, \u200bColorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North \u200dDakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South\u2063 Dakota, \u200bVirginia, Washington, West Virginia, and \u200cWisconsin.<\/p>\n<p>Florida is filing its own federal lawsuit\u2062 in the U.S.\u200d District Court for the Middle District \u200bof Florida. It is joined by the District\u200c of Columbia, Massachusetts, \u200bMississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont, which have filed related actions in their state courts.<\/p>\n<p>California&#8217;s attorney general is also conducting an ongoing investigation into TikTok\u200d for alleged harm to young users. On \u200bMarch 5, Mr. Bonta filed\u200b an amicus brief in support of efforts to compel the social media company to produce materials and evidence under subpoena.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does this lawsuit contribute \u200cto the larger conversation about the regulation of social media platforms and \u2064the protection of children and teenagers online<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Cility on \u200bJuly 7, \u20642022, in Los Angeles, California. (Mario Tama\/Getty Images) \u200c <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The lawsuit specifically focuses \u200con \u200bcertain features and practices of Facebook and Instagram that allegedly contribute \u2064to the harm of\u200b children and teenagers. These features include the use of\u200b algorithms\u2062 to promote harmful content, the collection and use of children\u2019s personal information without consent, and the targeting of vulnerable users for advertisements and \u2062in-app purchases.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit seeks to require Meta to change its \u200bbusiness practices and implement strict safeguards to\u200d protect children and teenagers using its platforms. It also seeks monetary\u2062 damages for\u2062 affected individuals and civil penalties against Meta.<\/p>\n<p>Attorney General Bonta highlighted the\u200c importance of holding \u200bMeta\u200d accountable for the harm caused to young users. He emphasized\u2062 that the lawsuit is aimed \u200bat protecting children from being exploited \u2064for corporate profit and ensuring that online platforms prioritize their safety and well-being.<\/p>\n<p>This legal \u2064action is \u2062the latest\u2064 in a series \u2063of challenges faced by Facebook and its parent company. In\u200b recent\u200b years, the social media giant has come under scrutiny for various issues, including privacy breaches, the spread of misinformation, and the promotion\u2064 of harmful content. These concerns have sparked calls for stricter regulation of social media platforms\u2062 to protect \u200dusers, particularly children and teenagers.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta represents a \u2064significant step\u2063 in addressing these \u200cconcerns and holding Meta accountable\u200b for its alleged violations. It sends a strong message that\u2064 the well-being of children and teenagers should be a \u2062top priority in the development and operation of online platforms.<\/p>\n<p>As\u200b the\u2062 legal proceedings unfold, the outcome of this lawsuit will undoubtedly have implications\u200c for the future regulation and practices \u200cof social media platforms. It will \u2064also \u2064serve as a precedent for \u200cother states and countries seeking to take\u200c action against companies that fail \u200cto adequately \u2062protect young users.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, this lawsuit highlights the \u2062growing significance of protecting\u200b children and teenagers in the digital\u200c age. It underscores the\u2062 need for robust legislation and enforcement to safeguard their online privacy, well-being, and mental\u200d health. It also emphasizes the responsibility of technology companies to \u200bprioritize user safety over corporate profits.<\/p>\n<p>The outcome \u200dof this \u2063legal battle has the potential to shape the future of the social media landscape and redefine the relationship between technology companies and their users. \u2063It serves as a reminder that when it\u2064 comes to the well-being of our children, no company should be\u200b above the law.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is facing a federal lawsuit led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of 33 attorneys general. They allege that the social media giant&#8217;s app features are detrimental to the well-being of children and teenagers. Additionally, eight attorneys general have individually filed lawsuits against Meta Platforms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":242,"featured_media":2079689,"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-2079688","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\/2079688","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\/242"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2079688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2079688\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2079689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2079688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2079688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2079688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}