Meta Platforms—41 state attorneys general sued Meta alleging platforms are addictive and harmful to children's mental health
On October 24, 2023, forty-one states and D.C. sued Meta Platforms alleging the company knowingly designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and Facebook that purposefully addict children and teens. The lawsuit alleged Meta violated COPPA by collecting personal data of users under 13 without parental consent, and that the company marketed its platforms to children despite knowing the harm. The suit cited internal research showing Meta was aware of the negative mental health effects on young users.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child Safety | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Mental Health | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| User Privacy | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.501 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.75)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (3 signals)
41 state attorneys general and D.C. filed lawsuit against Meta over children's mental health harm
Bipartisan coalition of 41 state AGs and D.C. filed suit alleging Meta knowingly designed addictive features targeting children and violated COPPA by collecting data from users under 13.
CNBC reported bipartisan AG coalition sued Meta citing infinite scroll, notifications, and algorithms targeting children
CNBC reported the bipartisan lawsuit detailed specific addictive features including algorithms, notifications, infinite scroll, likes, and photo filters. The complaint alleged Meta knew young users under 13 were active on platforms and knowingly collected their data without parental consent, calling such users 'valuable but untapped.'
California AG Bonta filed state-level lawsuit against Meta over harms to youth mental health
California AG Rob Bonta filed a separate state court lawsuit alongside the federal action, alleging Meta violated state consumer protection laws through deceptive practices and addictive design targeting minors.