Austin Knudsen, the Attorney General of Montana, has become the most recent to take legal action against tech giant Meta over allegations of non-compliance with child privacy laws. As reported by the National Law Journal, the lawsuit, filed on December 1, asserts that Meta inadequately curbs mature content on its platform Instagram, thereby failing in its duty to protect the privacy rights of minors.
The suit, which was lodged in the Billings division of the District of Montana, significantly diverges from the arguments brought forth in recent claims against Meta by 42 other state attorneys general. This case marks a new direction in the unfolding legal narrative surrounding Meta’s child privacy practices. Montana is represented in this case by the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Cooper & Kirk.
The court proceedings initiated by Attorney General Knudsen can be examined in detail in the federal complaint that has been made available. The complaint highlights the aspects where Meta allegedly downplays the prevalence of age-inappropriate content on Instagram, an issue that has been a critical point of contention for the platform.