"US States File Lawsuit Against Meta for Harmful Effects on Youth Mental Health and Addictive Features"

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Instagram, is facing a lawsuit filed by 33 U.S. states, including California and New York, accusing the company of fueling a youth mental health crisis by making their social media platforms addictive. The states allege that Meta repeatedly misled the public about the dangers of its platforms and knowingly induced young children and teenagers into addictive and compulsive social media use. Research has associated children's use of Meta's social media platforms with negative outcomes such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, and interference with education and daily life. The lawsuit seeks civil penalties for each violation of state laws and accuses Meta of violating a law banning the collection of data of children under age 13.