33 U.S states led by Illinois, California, New York, and the District of Columbia, have filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram on grounds of exploiting young users for the sake of profit. The lawsuit claims that Meta consciously tailored and marketed its services while violating consumer protection and privacy laws.
The central arguments of the state outline four main grievances;
- The creation of a business model through the development of Instagram and Facebook with emphasis on maximizing young users’ time and attention spend on these platforms.
- The designing and deployment of psychologically manipulative product features to induce compulsive and extended use of platforms by young users. Meta is accussed of giving false assurances that these features were safe for the youth.
- The regular publication of misleading reports suggesting a deceptively low incidence of user harm.
- Despite overwhelming research data indicating potential harm to young users from these media platforms, Meta continues pursuing harmful features.
The States claim that such behaviors by Meta represent unfair and/or deceptive acts under state consumer protection statutes, violating rules set by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) and further constitute unlawful acts under common law principles. According to COPPA regulations, websites and online services operating in the U.S and collecting personal information from children under the age of 13 must have certain protocols in place. Meta, as per the states’ argument, is accused of collecting data from minors without parents’ consent.
Historically, Meta has faced , challenged and settled legal disputes due to its data privacy practices.
In a statement regarding the lawsuit, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul stated, “Our children are in crisis, and we need to act”. His sentiments were echoed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who stressed that Social media companies, including Meta, have contributed to what was termed a “national youth mental health crisis” and needed to be held accountable.
The aim of the 33 states is to seek an injunction that curbs Meta’s alleged exploitation of young users. Currently, the case has been filed in a federal court in California.