U.S. District Judge rejects Meta's plea to dismiss lawsuits about teenage social media use

According to a recent ruling by a federal judge, Meta will have to face lawsuits from several U.S. states regarding social media addiction among teenagers. Meta had earlier tried to dismiss the lawsuits. However, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected Meta's request to dismiss.

The lawsuit involves more than 30 states including California and New York, along with another case from Florida. The states argue that Meta's Instagram and Facebook are harmful to the mental health of teenagers. They claim that the way Meta has designed these social media sites makes it hard for teens to stop using them, potentially leading to issues like anxiety and depression.

The states allege that Meta has knowingly created features that are addictive, exploiting the vulnerabilities of young users for profit.

New York Attorney General Letitia James stated as part of the lawsuit, back in 2023:

"Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health, and social media companies like Meta are to blame. Meta has profited from children's pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem."

Meta is pretty disappointed with the lawsuits and says that it has developed over 30 tools for supporting teens and their families, including features that limit exposure to harmful content. Meta says that the state attorneys general should have instead collaborated with tech companies to create clearer standards for social media use among teens, instead of legal action.

However, research has shown that excessive use of social media like Facebook and Instagram can potentially lead to loneliness and worsen issues related to body image. Meta's own studies state that many teenagers feel worse about their bodies after using Instagram.

There's no set timeline for when the sentencing will begin for these lawsuits. Although the outcome of this may influence future regulations to protect children online. Recently, the U.S. and the U.K. created a joint work group for online safety among children.

Via Reuters