Meta sued by over 30 US states for features designed to lure children to Instagram, Facebook
In a shocking move, more than 30 US States, including California, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and others, have filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms over the allegations of using features in Instagram and Facebook to lure children to the platform and get them hooked on harmful content. The lawsuit also alleges that Meta also exploited minors for its own profit. The lawsuit is the latest in the growing scrutiny of social media platforms over how they treat the youth and safeguarding measures to protect them from harmful content.
The lawsuit has been filed in the northern district of the State of California in the District Court, as per a report by The New York Times. The case will now assess whether Meta, which is the parent company behind social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp violated consumer protection laws by unfairly endangering children and misleading users about the standard of safety on the platforms. The District of Columbia and eight additional states individually filed lawsuits against Meta, primarily asserting similar allegations.
“Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens,” lawyers for the States said in the lawsuit. “Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its social media platforms.”
Meta said in a statement that it's committed to keeping teens safe online and has introduced more than 30 tools to support youths 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
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