TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat deliberately designed as addictive platforms to ‘carefully nurture’ mental health crisis among US students, Silicon Valley school board claims in lawsuit doing.
The San Mateo County superintendent and school board allege in a lawsuit filed Monday that the tech company was involved in activities that included negligence, racketeering, public nuisance and violation of unfair competition laws. Seattle school district It filed similar lawsuits against the same three companies in January.
TikTok is one of the most frequently downloaded social media apps worldwide and is popular not only in the United States, but especially among younger users. (CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
“A powerful corporation driven by unparalleled, highly focused technology for profit is deliberately causing this unprecedented mental health crisis,” the lawsuit states. “YouTube, Snap, TikTok and their affiliates have carefully nurtured a crisis that is a feature, not a bug, in their social media products.”
Social media users have a real-world influence on their online habits, journalists say.
See more FOX News digital originals here
Social media platforms claimed to have tools in place to protect children.
A Google spokesperson told Fox News, “We have an external group of child development experts who provide advice on how to build age-appropriate experiences and protect children on YouTube.” increase.
TikTok declined to comment on the lawsuit, but a spokesperson said the company “prioritizes the safety and well-being of teenagers.”
TikTok has been criticized by US lawmakers who claim the platform can be used as a propaganda tool. (Photo by Jens Kalaene/picture Alliance via Getty Images)
China can use TIKTOK as a “propaganda” tool. It should be ‘absolutely’ banned, Sen.warner says
A Snap spokesperson also said that while the app is primarily used as a messaging platform, the company is “working closely with leading mental health organizations to provide in-app tools and resources for Snapchat users. , helps support both yourself and their friends.”
The lawsuit alleges that the social media giant’s algorithms are intentionally distributing harmful content to youth, forcing school staff to address student problems caused by the platform. .
“For the health and well-being of our youth, no one is indifferent,” said San Mateo Schools Superintendent Nancy McGee said in a local interview“It’s also very difficult when you’re working with social media companies to try and remove content that could directly harm children.”
lawsuit seeks A tech company’s conduct has been declared public nuisance and courts have prevented it from continuing. It also requires defendants to make contributions to the Public Education Fund and to pay compensatory and punitive damages.
Republican-controlled states lead ban on TIKTOK on government devices amid US-China tensions
Meta, the San Mateo County-based parent company of Facebook and Instagram, was not named in the lawsuit. (Photo credit: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The complaint also references President Biden’s comments in his State of the Union address, accusing social media companies of “performing experiments on our children for profit.”
As TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat grew in popularity from 2011 to 2021, so did mental health issues among young people, such as depression and suicidal thoughts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Studies Cited in Lawsuits.
The lawsuit excludes Facebook and Instagram, whose parent company Meta is based in San Mateo County. According to internal documents, Facebook employees knew that Instagram had a detrimental effect on young women and girls. 2021 Wall Street Journal Survey.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
To see the full interview with Woodhouse, click here.
Maggie did not return requests for comment.
