Grand Canyon Times

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has joined a coalition of 41 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against social media giant Meta, formerly known as Facebook, for knowingly employing harmful features on their platforms that harm the mental health of young users. The bipartisan coalition alleges that Meta designed and deployed features on platforms such as Instagram that purposefully addict children and teenagers, while falsely assuring the public that these features are safe for young users.

According to a press release from Mayes' office, Meta's actions have contributed to a youth mental health crisis in America. Mayes stated, "Meta not only ignored the well-being of young users but deliberately misled the public, claiming their platforms were safe. By violating consumer protection laws and federal privacy standards, they've put the mental health and well-being of an entire generation at risk. Meta must be held accountable for its irresponsible and damaging actions."

The federal complaint, which has been joined by a total of 33 states, alleges that Meta was aware of the harmful impacts its platforms had on young users but failed to mitigate those harms and concealed the potential impacts from the public. The complaint also accuses Meta of collecting data from users under the age of 13 without obtaining parental consent.

The complaint is based on methods used by Meta to maximize user engagement, such as infinite scroll and consistent alerts. These tactics create an addictive allure for young users, according to the press release.

The states involved in the federal lawsuit include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Florida is filing its own federal complaint, while eight states are filing lawsuits in their own state courts, including the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont.

The lawsuit against Meta highlights the growing concern over the impact of social media on youth mental health and the need for greater accountability from tech companies. The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for the regulation of social media platforms and the protection of young users.