States Sue Meta Alleging Harm to Young People on Instagram, Facebook

A coalition of 41 states and Washington (DC) are filing lawsuits alleging that Meta Platforms has intentionally built its products with addictive features that harm young users of its Facebook and Instagram services. The lawsuits, in federal and state courts, say Meta misled the public about the dangers of its platforms for young people. The states also allege that Meta knowingly has marketed its products to users under the age of 13, who are barred from the platform by both Meta’s policies and federal law. The states are seeking to force Meta to change product features that they say pose dangers to young users. The lawsuits follow failed settlement talks with Meta, according to people familiar with the situation. They come after a joint, multiyear investigation led by Republican Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti of Tennessee and Democrat Philip Weiser of Colorado. Thirty-three of the states joined a suit filed in federal court in Northern California. Some of the attorneys general, including Skrmetti of Tennessee and Andrea Campbell of Massachusetts, have chosen to bring cases making essentially the same arguments under their home states’ consumer protection laws for what people familiar with the efforts called strategic reasons.