33 States Join , Lawsuit Against Meta, For Targeting Children.
NBC reports that a bipartisan group of 33 state attorney generals are suing Facebook parent company Meta over addictive features targeting children and teens.
According to a complaint filed in California federal court, state AGs allege that Meta designed its products to keep young users on the platform.
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The federal complaint accuses Meta of accomplishing this with algorithms, alerts, notifications and infinite scroll through feeds on the platforms. .
The federal complaint accuses Meta of accomplishing this with algorithms, alerts, notifications and infinite scroll through feeds on the platforms. .
AGs allege that other features have a negative impact on the mental health of teens, including issues ranging from social comparison to promoting body dysmorphia.
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According to the federal suit, Meta also violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting the personal data of users under the age of 13 without parental consent.
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NBC reports that the states are looking to bring Meta's harmful practices to an end, while also seeking penalties and restitution.
NBC reports that the states are looking to bring Meta's harmful practices to an end, while also seeking penalties and restitution.
AGs claim that Meta was fully aware of the potential negative impact its designs would have on young users.
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In 2021, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen leaked Meta documents revealing internal research on the company's products.
One of the internal studies on Instagram's impact on teens found that , "thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse.".
NBC reports that several of the practices cited by AGs are similar to those employed by other social media platforms, which also use algorithms to ensure user engagement.
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NBC reports that several of the practices cited by AGs are similar to those employed by other social media platforms, which also use algorithms to ensure user engagement.
