Meta Faces Lawsuit from 34 US States Over Alleged Harm to Children's Mental Health

According to Decrypt, a coalition of 34 U.S. states is suing Meta, formerly known as Facebook, alleging that its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, manipulate children and harm their mental health. The lawsuit accuses Meta of using algorithms to encourage compulsive use and features like the “Like” button to negatively impact children's mental health. The legal filing claims that Meta has altered the psychological and social realities of a generation of young Americans through its powerful and unprecedented technologies.In response, a Meta spokesperson stated that the company shares the same concerns as the state attorneys general regarding safe and positive experiences for young people. Meta has introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families and is disappointed that the attorneys general have chosen to pursue litigation instead of working with the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards. Meta argues that research on social media's negative impact is inconclusive and does not support the claim that social media use causes teen mental health issues. The company has implemented changes to create a safe environment for teens, including age verification, private accounts, automated interventions, and content restrictions.Despite Meta's efforts, the government plaintiffs are moving forward with the lawsuit, demanding damages, restitution, and compensation in varying amounts for each state listed in the filing. Meta believes that the best path forward is to develop broad and universal policies that apply to all social platforms and work with companies across the industry to address these issues.