A federal judge in the United States has decided not to dismiss a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, initiated by 29 state attorneys general. The lawsuit claims that Meta deliberately engineered Facebook and Instagram to foster addictive usage among young users while hiding the potential dangers associated with such behavior.
The court’s decision allows the case to proceed on grounds of deceptive practices, unfair business conduct, and alleged breaches of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Additionally, the judge determined that Meta did not adequately fulfill specific parental notice and consent obligations under the federal statute.
The states involved in the lawsuit argue that prolonged use of Facebook and Instagram is linked to various mental health challenges among young individuals, such as anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and interruptions to both education and daily life. They accuse Meta of intentionally incorporating features that promote extended engagement, despite being aware of these potential risks.
Meta has refuted these allegations, asserting its dedication to supporting young users and maintaining that there is no universally recognized medical definition for “social media addiction.” However, the judge noted that there are factual disputes regarding whether the platforms were specifically designed to incite compulsive use, indicating that these issues will be resolved in a trial.