Ohio joins 40 states suing Meta alleging that Instagram and Facebook are harmful for kids
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More than 40 states, including Ohio, have filed suit in federal court against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, claiming that the social media company has harmed young people’s mental health – addicting them while misleading the public about the platforms' safety.
In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the states allege that the company has profited in how it has designed Instagram and Facebook to maximize time spent on the platforms by teens and children, which led to increased advertising revenue.
"We have a youth mental health crisis in the United States," said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser in a press conference Tuesday. "The young people were brought down rabbit holes."
The suit cites several studies including Meta’s own research showing links between young people's use of Instagram and Facebook with depression, anxiety and other health issues.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said that children on these online platforms are vulnerable to cyberbullying and online predators and Meta has exacerbated the issue by concealing the psychological harm they cause.
"I trust that the parents within Meta itself might reconsider these practices, but, until then, initiating lawsuits should compel the company to change its ways," Yost said in a release.
Some of this information was brought to light by whistleblower Frances Haugen's leaking of documents to The Wall Street Journal, which led to a series of stories in the outlet, and to a Senate hearing.
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'National youth mental health crisis'
“Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame,” said New York Attorney General James in a statement. “Meta has profited from children’s pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem. Social media companies, including Meta, have contributed to a national youth mental health crisis and they must be held accountable.”
In a statement, Meta said it shares “the attorneys general’s commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens 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 attorneys general have chosen this path,” the company added.
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Which states are filing the lawsuit against Meta?
In addition to Ohio and Colorado, other states with attorneys general joining the suit are Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Nine state attorneys general in Florida, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont and the District of Columbia have filed similar lawsuits in their states.
In all, 42 states have filed suit against Meta on the issue.
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What are the claims being made against Meta in the lawsuit?
The lawsuit alleges that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram with "manipulative and harmful features" to keep young users on the apps. The design encouraged compulsive use with "likes" and alerts to encourage constant engagement, the suit charges.
The state AGs also say Meta continued to use a visual filter that promotes young users body dysmorphia, and leads to body image issues related to eating disorders.
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What is the goal of the lawsuit against Meta?
The lawsuit seeks to make Meta stop using harmful tactics with algorithms and to stop unlawfully collecting personal data from young users (those under 13), without parental consent, under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
"We want this activity to stop using its misleading algorithms," Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said in a news conference. "We want to make sure it applies with the COPPA."
Contributing: The Associated Press and The Columbus Dispatch
Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ohio joins lawsuit against Meta over 'addictive features' for youth
