US Court Allows Thousands of Cases Against Meta Over Alleged Addictive Algorithm Design
Four US states brought lawsuits alleging that Meta deliberately designed Instagram and Facebook to create addiction in children, claiming the company prioritizes profit over child safety. Thousands of cases by young people suffering depression and anxiety, as well as parents, have reportedly been allowed to proceed in court.
What happened
A lawsuit in Oakland, California was brought by four US states alleging that Meta deliberately designed its Instagram and Facebook applications to create addiction in children.
California's Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that Meta prioritizes profit over children's safety and violates consumer protection laws. The lawsuit claims that features like 'likes' can lead to unhealthy, excessive and problematic use when users focus only on receiving likes.
Reported impact
According to the articles, thousands of complaints have been filed by young people suffering from depression and anxiety disorders, as well as parents who blame social media for their children's deaths.
Meta's CFO Susan Lee stated that lawsuits could impact company results and cause material losses. Damages sought in the current case exceed one trillion dollars.
Index analysis
Meta had previously been ordered to pay one billion dollars in New Mexico, which is under appeal. An appeals court has allowed thousands of cases to proceed against social media platforms including Meta, TikTok and Google for allegations of addicting minors.
Professor of Psychiatry Elias Aboujaoude from Stanford University cited the 'likes' feature as an example of how the platform design can lead to problematic use. While social media addiction is not formally recognized as a disease, researchers consider the phenomenon concerning.
Governance controls
Meta stated it makes efforts to protect children and notes that social media addiction is not recognized as an official diagnosis.
The articles reference that states' attorneys general consider social media companies responsible for the health risks created for youth and note failures in youth protection measures.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.