States File Lawsuits Against Meta Alleging Harm to Children's Mental Health from Addictive Platform Design

More than 30 states filed lawsuits against Meta alleging its platforms like Facebook and Instagram are designed to be addictive and harm children's mental health.

The federal lawsuit claims Meta violated children's privacy laws and state consumer protection laws. Separate state lawsuits make similar claims under state laws.

The lawsuits aim to force Meta to change how it designs and markets its platforms, especially to children, and could lead to major fines.

The lawsuits claim Meta falsely said its platforms aren't manipulative or unhealthy for kids and that it failed to protect children's data privacy as required.

Meta says it has made over 30 changes to improve child safety, but the lawsuits claim kids still easily circumvent age restrictions. The states want broad changes to algorithms and time limits.