Coalition of 33 US States sues Meta for harming mental health of youngsters

A coalition of 33 States, led by prominent states like California and New York, has initiated legal action against Meta Platforms Inc.

Coalition is initiating legal action as the company's deliberate design of features on Instagram and Facebook has contributed to the addiction of children to their platforms, exacerbating the ongoing crisis of youth mental health.

The lawsuit, recently filed in a federal court in California, also alleges that Meta has been unlawfully gathering data on children under the age of 13, without the necessary consent from their parents, a direct violation of federal laws.

New York Attorney General Letitia James emphasized, "Social media companies like Meta are directly responsible for the soaring levels of mental health issues among children and adolescents."

The lawsuit, born out of an extensive investigation conducted by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from several states including California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont, encompasses a broad spectrum of concerns regarding the impact of social media on young minds.

It's no secret that social media usage among teenagers is nearly ubiquitous not only in the U.S. but also in many other parts of the globe. According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 95% of young individuals aged 13 to 17 in the U.S. acknowledge using some form of social media, with more than a third admitting to using it "almost constantly.