MI, 41 States Sue Meta Over 'Addictive' Features That Harm Kids

MICHIGAN — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday that his office has filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., which owns and operates Facebook and Instagram, claiming that the social media platforms’ harmful business practices are targeting children.

The lawsuit, which is also backed by a bipartisan coalition of 33 states, was filed today in the federal district court for the Northern District of California. A coalition of 33 attorneys general filed the suit; nine additional attorneys general are filing lawsuits in their respective states, bringing the total number of attorneys general taking action against Meta to 42.

In the lawsuit, Nessel and the collection of other attorneys general maintain that Meta’s business model, which seeks to capture as much user time and attention as possible to sell advertising, has targeted youth, including teenagers and even younger children, in ways that take advantage of them.

"Meta has, for some time, been aware of the dangers that ongoing and constant exposure to social media has on young people," Nessel said in a statement. "Documents recently made public show that Meta put its desire to profit from teens’ engagement on its platforms above the physical and mental health of that very impressionable demographic. I stand firmly with my colleagues in asserting that Meta has misrepresented the addictive nature of social media and has violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, for which it should be held accountable."

Nessel and the coalition of other top attorneys claim that Meta designed its social media platforms to include features that exploit young users’ psychological vulnerabilities to keep them using the platforms longer and that many of these product features are strongly linked to damaging psychological outcomes, according to the release.

In a statement issued in response to the lawsuit, a Meta spokesperson said:

"We share the attorney's generals commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families. We’re disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among youth between ages 10 and 14. During the decade since Instagram’s rise in popularity, the CDC reported that the number of high school students who experience feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness, along with suicidal thoughts and ideation, increased by 40 percent. In that same time period, there was a 30 percent increase in the rate of high school girls who attempted suicide, the agency reported.

Nessel and the coalition allege that Meta designed its social media platforms to include features that exploit young users’ psychological vulnerabilities to keep them using the platforms longer, and that many of these product features are strongly linked to damaging psychological outcomes.

The attorneys general allege that Meta is aware of the potential harms its products cause youth, including driving impulsive behavior; interfering with sleep and education; and exacerbating issues young people have with depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, and thoughts of self-harm. Meta’s own research confirmed that its social media platforms are among the worst in harming young users.

In addition, a report published by the U.S. Surgeon General links social media use to a rise in youth anxiety and depression. The report, however, does note there are gaps in understanding the mental health risks tied to social media use by children.