A bipartisan group of states is making allegations that Meta’s addictive features on Facebook and Instagram have violated a federal privacy law and state consumer protection regulations.
More than 30 states filed a federal lawsuit against Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, alleging the platforms’ apps are designed to be addictive and harm children’s mental health.
The lawsuit signed by 33 state attorneys general was filed Tuesday in a San Francisco federal court. The suit claims Meta violated both federal children’s online privacy law and state consumer protection laws by making its products addictive and then lying about how they harm children’s mental health.
In addition, eight state attorneys general and the District of Columbia have initiated separate lawsuits in their respective state courts, accusing Meta of violating state consumer protection laws. In total, 42 states, including the District of Columbia, have filed lawsuits in federal and state courts on Tuesday.
If successful, these lawsuits by the states could compel Meta to make significant changes in how it designs and promotes its platforms to the public, potentially resulting in substantial fines. This legal strategy draws comparisons to the numerous lawsuits brought against the tobacco industry in the 1990s, which led to significant financial penalties and forced changes in how the industry marketed its products.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the federal lawsuit, expressed, “We refuse to allow Meta to trample on our children’s mental and physical health, all in the name of promoting its products and increasing its profits. We refuse to allow the company to feign ignorance of the harm it’s causing, and we won’t let it continue with business as usual.”
At a separate press conference held in San Francisco on Tuesday, Bonta emphasized the importance of bipartisan cooperation in bringing the federal case, which includes support from 15 Republican and 18 Democratic state attorneys general. Bonta stated, “Folks that don’t team up too often are teaming up today. I think that speaks volumes, not just about the success on the merits, but more about the scope of the problem and how it affects every corner of this country.” A bipartisan group
The federal lawsuit alleges that Meta deceived users by making “false and misleading” claims that its features were not manipulative, that its products were not designed to encourage unhealthy engagement with children, and that its products were safe for younger users.
These lawsuits are strategically designed to work around Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a long-standing law that shields platforms from being held accountable for most of the content posted by users. The consumer protection lawsuits do not directly target specific content but rather assert that Meta misled the public regarding the safety of children on its platforms.
In response, Meta has pushed back against the lawsuits, contending that it has implemented more than 30 design changes aimed at enhancing the safety of children across its range of products. A Meta spokesperson expressed disappointment, stating, “We’re disappointed that instead of working collaboratively with companies in the industry to establish clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teenagers use, the attorneys general have opted for this course of action.”