A coalition of 41 states plus the District of Columbia today sued Meta, which controls Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, accusing it of its social networks Instagram and Facebook creating dependency and harming children.
This action is the most relevant initiative of North American government authorities to curb the impact of social networks on the mental health of minors and force Meta to change the characteristics of its networks, due to the danger they say they represent for younger users .
A total of 33 states, including Colorado and California, have filed a joint lawsuit in federal court in the Northern District of California, while other attorneys general from Washington DC and eight other states have filed separate complaints in federal, state or local courts .
The number of complaints stems from a study conducted in 2021 into the various ways in which the technology conglomerate has contributed to mental health problems among young people.
In 2021, The Wall Street Journal published a report, compiled from internal information, on how Instagram was worsening the perception of their bodies among users, especially girls and teenagers, and highlighted that the company was aware of this.
Since then, some states, such as Arkansas or Utah, have passed laws banning children under 13 from accessing social media and requiring teens under 18 to have parental permission to access the sites.
California has passed laws requiring tech companies to screen their platforms for potential risks and issues.
Source: DN
