Forty-one states and the District of Columbia have sued Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, accusing the social media giant of knowingly promoting addictive features that harm the mental health of young people. The lawsuit says Meta has contributed to a mental health crisis in the United States and has violated a range of state consumer protection statutes, including a child privacy law that prohibits companies from collecting personal data of children under the age of 13 without parental consent. This is plaintiff, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin.

Attorney General Matt Platkin: “We know that kids were and are being induced by Meta’s Instagram and Facebook platforms to spend hours upon hours scrolling and being subjected to images and words that exacerbate a number of health and social issues, including body image, eating disorders, anxiety, loneliness, depression and envy. Meta knew what they were doing.”