A bipartisan group of 42 attorneys general is filing the lawsuit. meta, the group said in a statement on Tuesday, arguing that the features of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram are addictive and targeted at children and teens. The support from so many state attorneys general of varying political backgrounds represents a significant legal challenge to Mehta’s operations.
Meta is currently facing multiple lawsuits in multiple districts regarding this issue. Thirty-three state attorneys general have filed a federal lawsuit against meth in the Northern District of California, and nine additional attorneys general have filed suit in their respective states, according to a press release from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office. That’s what it means. In addition to New York, the states that filed the federal lawsuit include California, Colorado, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin.
This case is another example of state law enforcement making it a bipartisan priority to protect children and teens from online harm.
“America is going through a tough time right now,” Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Scumetti said at a press conference after the lawsuit was filed. “We’re polarized in a way we haven’t seen since the Civil War. So all the attorneys general of both parties, people who often disagree loudly and publicly, are all coming together. We need to move in the same direction.” I think that says something. ”
“This is not an action we take lightly,” Colorado AG Phil Weiser said at a news conference. “We don’t know that this case will be decided anytime soon, but it is of the utmost importance. That’s why we are using the agency-level resources assembled here to address the highest priorities of the national agenda. I dedicated myself to working on it.”
This isn’t the first time a broad coalition of state attorneys general has banded together to go after meth. In 2020, 48 states and territories filed antitrust charges against the company, along with separate complaints from the Federal Trade Commission.
Meta designed its Facebook and Instagram products to keep young users engaged and coming back again and again, the attorneys general allege. Meta did this through algorithmic design, mass alerts, notifications, and so-called infinite scrolling of the platform’s feeds, according to the federal complaint. The company also includes features such as likes and photo filters that AGs say can harm teens’ mental health through social comparison and promoting body dysmorphia.
The federal lawsuit also accuses Meta of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting personal data from users under the age of 13 without parental consent.
States are demanding an end to harmful meth practices and penalties and compensation.
The attorney general alleges that Meta was well aware that its design could have a negative impact on young users.
“Meth publicly denies and downplays these harmful effects, but ignorance cannot be credibly defended,” James’ office said in a press release. “Meta’s own internal investigation documents demonstrate Meta’s awareness that its products harm young users. In fact, an internal investigation commissioned by Meta indicates that the internal investigation was leaked by a whistleblower. Although it was kept private until publicly reported, it reveals that Meta has known for years about the serious harm associated with this, along with the amount of time young users spend on its platform. ”
Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen caused an uproar among lawmakers and parents in 2021 after leaking internal company documents revealing an internal investigation into its products. One document on Instagram’s impact on teens says, “32 percent of teenage girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel bad.” It turned out that it was. wall street journal Haugen reported before revealing his identity. In response to the report, Instagram said it was working on ways to distance users from dwelling on negative topics.
“Meth’s policy is to warn people that they are dealing with a dangerous and potentially addictive product before they start using it,” District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in a phone interview with CNBC. It should have been common practice,” he told CNBC in a phone interview. Mr. Schwalb is one of the attorneys general who filed a private lawsuit accusing Meta of violating the district’s consumer protection laws.
On December 20, 2022, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrived at a federal courthouse in San Jose, California.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
“We share the attorney general’s commitment to providing safe and positive experiences for teens online, and we support teens and their families,” Mehta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement. We have already introduced more than 30 tools to support this.” “I am disappointed that the Attorney General has chosen this path instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear age-appropriate standards for the many apps that teens use. We feel sorry for them.”
Some of the practices the attorney general is focusing on against Meta are similar to what other social media companies are doing, such as designing algorithms to keep users engaged.
Scumetti told reporters that the meth lawsuit is just one part of an “industry-wide investigation.”
“This is not just about Meta, but as one of the largest players and an organization with clear evidence that it has made deliberate decisions that mislead the public and harm children, we “I think it would be appropriate to lead a particular case,” he said. He said.
Last year, a bipartisan group of state legislators announced they were investigating TikTok over similar child online safety concerns.
Scumetti said the multi-state lawsuit against meth could serve as a “vehicle to negotiate an industry-wide settlement,” or “individual lawsuits could lead to better behavior for each company over the long term.” added.
Schwalb said he doesn’t think Meta is the only company trying to grab users’ attention with its features, but “they’re doing it very effectively, and they’re doing it for millions of people here.” “It’s a huge disservice to young people, tens of thousands of young people.” within the district. ”
“All humans are susceptible to FOMO,” Schwalb said, referring to the fear of missing out. “But especially 12- to 14-, 15-, 16-year-old kids. They’re really worried about missing out. All of these are things that meta uses to get people hooked. It’s part of our DNA.” ”
The extensive bipartisan coalition of attorneys general highlights the broad interest that law enforcement officials on both sides of the aisle have in consumer protection issues like this one. President Joe Biden also made a point in his State of the Union address to discuss the priorities of protecting children’s safety and mental health online.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for AGs to work together across party lines when we find issues like this.” [lines] We strive to make America a safer place,” Schwalb said.
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