Instagram Lawsuit: Here's Why New York, Florida and Many States Are Suing Meta
Numerous U.S. states, including California, Florida, and New York, are filing Instagram lawsuit against for allegedly causing harm to young people's mental health and contributing to a youth mental health crisis. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images

A bipartisan coalition of 33 attorneys general filed an Instagram lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, on Tuesday, alleging that the social media giant knowingly designed and deployed features that have harmed the mental health of young users.

The lawsuit alleges that Meta used deceptive and unlawful conduct to create platforms that are "directly contributing" to the youth mental health crisis, according to The Hill.

"Meta has profited from children's pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem. Social media companies, including Meta, have contributed to a national youth mental health crisis, and they must be held accountable," New York Attorney General Letitia James stated.

James leads the joint Instagram lawsuit against Meta.

This highlights the concern that social media platforms have knowingly designed features that have negatively impacted the mental health of young users. The lawsuit aims to hold Meta accountable for these alleged actions.

Among the alleged harmful features are "dopamine-manipulating recommendation algorithms," "likes" on posts, visual filter features that promote body dysmorphia, and "infinite scroll" features designed to discourage young users from disengaging with the platforms.

The complaint also accuses Meta of violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal data from teen users without parental consent.

Other State Attorney Generals File Instagram Lawsuit in Their State Courts

Nine state attorneys general, including Florida and the District of Columbia, are filing separate lawsuits in their own state courts alleging that Meta's practices violate state consumer protection laws, per POLITICO.

In total, 42 states filed lawsuits in federal and state courts. If successful, these lawsuits could compel Meta to change the way it designs and markets its platforms and result in significant fines.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the federal lawsuit, expressed a strong stance against Meta's alleged actions, saying, "We refuse to allow Meta to trample on our children's mental and physical health, all to promote its products and increase its profits. We refuse to allow the company to feign ignorance of the harm that's causing; we refuse to let it continue business as usual."

This statement underscores the determination of the states involved in the lawsuit to challenge Meta's conduct and its impact on young users' well-being.

The legal strategy in this case has drawn comparisons to the lawsuits against the tobacco industry in the 1990s, which led to substantial damages and changes in how the industry markets its products.

Tech Lawsuits in California

The Instagram lawsuit comes as a federal judge in California is set to consider numerous similar allegations against the wider tech industry.

The judge is expected to hear arguments from Google, Meta, Snap, and TikTok urging the dismissal of nearly 200 complaints brought by private plaintiffs accusing these companies of addicting or harming their users, CNN noted.

It is possible that the multistate suit filed against Meta could be merged with the consumers' cases and potentially lead to nationwide relief.

Participating states in the multistate federal Instagram lawsuit include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The additional lawsuits filed in state courts were brought by Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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