Instagram and Facebook owners sued for damaging children’s mental health

“Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame,” says Attorney General Letitia Jackson. 

Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, is being sued by over 40 states in America for harming young people's mental health. 

A federal lawsuit claimed that popular social media platforms contribute to the mental health crisis among youth and use addictive features to “ensnare” people into continuing to use the apps. 

The lawsuit also claims Meta accesses and stores data from kids under the age of 13, violating the US Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. 

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The lawsuit claims Meta is "profiting from children’s pain." Source: iStock

Meta “must be held accountable” for contributing to kids’ mental health crisis

“Social media companies, including Meta, have contributed to a national youth mental health crisis, and they must be held accountable,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. 

“Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health, and social media companies like Meta are to blame.” 

She claimed Meta is “profiting from children’s pain” by “intentionally” designing its platform with “manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem.” 

More than 40 states are suing the technology company, including California, New Jersey and New York. However, some states have opted to file in local courts rather than join the 33 states involved in the federal case. 

Early this year, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy urged for action against social media environments that contribute to the dwindling state of mental health in youth. 

“We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis -- one that we must urgently address,” he said in an issued advisory. 

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Meta argues its platforms have "positive mental health benefits." Source: AFP

Meta argues its platforms have “positive mental health benefits”

A damning 2021 article from the Wall Street Journal indicated Facebook “knows” platforms like Instagram are more “toxic for many teen girls” than its competitors. 

But Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg refuted those claims, arguing platforms like Facebook and Instagram have the opposite effect. “The research that we’ve seen is that using social apps to connect with other people can have positive mental health benefits,” he said in March 2021. 

Meta platforms Instagram and Facebook require users to be above 13 to create an account, and those under the accepted age “must clearly state in the account's bio” that a parent or manager manages the account.

However, as Instagram has no age verification process, children under 13 are easily able to create an account and use the platform as intended without parental supervision or knowledge. 

A 2021 report from The Verge suggested that 40 per cent of children under 13 already access Facebook and Instagram. 

Meta has responded to the lawsuit, claiming it was “disappointed” by the lawsuit, and arguing that states weren’t working with the social media companies to create standards appropriate for young people. 

“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,” a spokesperson said.

Originally published as Instagram and Facebook owners sued for damaging children’s mental health