33 States Join , Lawsuit Against Meta, For Targeting Children.<br />NBC reports that a bipartisan group of 33 state attorney <br />generals are suing Facebook parent company Meta <br />over addictive features targeting children and teens.<br />According to a complaint filed in California federal <br />court, state AGs allege that Meta designed its <br />products to keep young users on the platform. .<br />The federal complaint accuses Meta of accomplishing <br />this with algorithms, alerts, notifications and <br />infinite scroll through feeds on the platforms. .<br />The federal complaint accuses Meta of accomplishing <br />this with algorithms, alerts, notifications and <br />infinite scroll through feeds on the platforms. .<br />AGs allege that other features have a negative impact on <br />the mental health of teens, including issues ranging <br />from social comparison to promoting body dysmorphia. .<br />According to the federal suit, Meta also violated <br />the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act <br />(COPPA) by collecting the personal data of users <br />under the age of 13 without parental consent. .<br />NBC reports that the states are looking to <br />bring Meta's harmful practices to an end, <br />while also seeking penalties and restitution.<br />NBC reports that the states are looking to <br />bring Meta's harmful practices to an end, <br />while also seeking penalties and restitution.<br />AGs claim that Meta was fully <br />aware of the potential negative impact <br />its designs would have on young users. .<br />In 2021, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen <br />leaked Meta documents revealing <br />internal research on the company's products.<br />One of the internal studies on <br />Instagram's impact on teens found that , "thirty-two percent of teen girls said that <br />when they felt bad about their bodies, <br />Instagram made them feel worse.".<br />NBC reports that several of the practices cited by AGs are <br />similar to those employed by other social media platforms, <br />which also use algorithms to ensure user engagement. .<br />NBC reports that several of the practices cited by AGs are <br />similar to those employed by other social media platforms, <br />which also use algorithms to ensure user engagement.
