WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — In a suit filed on Tuesday, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody along with attorney generals from dozens of other states filed a lawsuit against Meta.
The suit alleges the social media company's platforms, Facebook and Instagram, knowingly designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and its other social media platforms that purposefully addict children and teens. It also alleges, that Meta falsely assured the public that these features are safe and suitable for young users.
“Meta has gone unchecked for too long, and our children are suffering the consequences of these unlawful practices. Today, I took action to stop Meta from targeting minors with addictive features to keep them online for hours, collecting their data, and other unlawful actions that harm teens’ mental health," said Moody.
Moody’s action asserts that Meta’s business practices violate Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. According to her office, these practices continue to harm the physical and mental health of children and teens and fueled what the U.S. Surgeon General deemed a “youth mental health crisis,” which has ended lives, devastated families and damaged the potential of a generation of young people.
The complaint alleges that Meta knew of the harmful effects of its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, on young people.
Instead of taking meaningful steps to mitigate these harms, Meta misled the public about the harms associated with use of its platform, concealing the extent of the psychological and health harms suffered by young users addicted to use of its platforms.
The complaint further alleges Meta knew young users, including those under 13, were active on the platforms and knowingly collected data from these users without parental consent.
See also: Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners to vote on 'The Big Deal'
Social media expert Craig Agranoff says when it comes to social media we’re all guilty of feeding into our addiction to stay connected.
“I am constantly on my devices, and sometimes I catch myself, and I'm like, 'Why am I even looking at the phone?' There's nothing I'm looking for, but it's like a natural, habitual reaction," said Agranoff.
When the behavior becomes an addiction, intentionally fueled by companies to grow their audience and time spent on their sites and apps, that’s where attorney generals from across the country are drawing the line especially when it comes to our kids.
“All these hours and hours and hours online, are harmful to young kids' self-esteem and mental health," said Agranoff.
Plaintiffs also claim the company hid clear evidence of psychological and health harms suffered by young users and did nothing to address the problem.
Agranoff tells CBS12 News what children are experiencing today is not just on big tech. He says parents need to get involved in what the kids are doing.
“You should be keeping track of what your kids are doing and how often they're online," said Agranoff.
On the street, people are concerned about social media and how it can impact children and the community as a whole.
“If there are no faces involved, I think that bullying or harassment can be easier," said West Palm Beach resident Amanda Owens.
“There's a lot of good things that can come from social media, but I feel like there should be more people monitoring people saying negative things, and if someone says something really mean online, I think it should just be taken down," said West Palm Beach resident Ali Embry.
Agranoff isn’t shocked by the suit, but he says the most important thing here is for the states, companies and families to work together to help kids safely navigate this digital world.
He says he hopes part of the solution will be the social media classes now required in all Florida public schools to give students some perspective and understanding of what they’re experiencing online.
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October 25, 2023 at 03:53AM
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Florida Attorney General files lawsuit against Meta amidst dozens of other states' suits - WPEC
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