Peach Tree Times

Attorney General Chris Carr has joined legal action along with 33 other states against Meta, alleging that the company intentionally designed and promoted features on platforms like Instagram to addict children and teens while concealing the associated mental health risks. This legal action alleges violations of consumer protection laws and the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, highlighting concerns about the impact of social media on young users.

The lawsuit, filed by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general, accuses Meta of knowingly designing harmful features on Instagram and other platforms to addict children and teens while misleading the public. The lawsuit claims that these practices violate state consumer protection laws and the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, contributing to a "youth mental health crisis." The attorneys general are seeking injunctive and monetary relief to address the harm caused by these platforms.

In a press release by the Attorney General's Office, Attorney General Carr stated "We have become increasingly concerned with Meta possibly marketing to children despite knowing the risks posed to their mental health and well-being. We will not allow our state’s youngest citizens to be the targets of deceptive social media tactics, and we’re working diligently to address this dangerous and alarming trend. Our consumer protection laws are put in place to protect people from misleading and potentially harmful actions, which includes the exploitation of Georgia’s youth."

The lawsuit relies on confidential information not available to the public, but publicly accessible sources and former Meta employees' disclosures allegedly reveal that Meta intentionally designed its platforms to be addictive to children and teenagers. Features like infinite scroll and constant alerts were utilized to maximize engagement. The lawsuit alleges that these design choices violate state consumer protection laws.

The legal actions against Meta are the result of a nationwide, bipartisan investigation that began in 2021. The lawsuits encompass both individual state court cases and collective federal efforts, with multiple state attorneys general committed to ongoing cooperation during the litigation.

In the federal lawsuit, Georgia is joined by major states such as California, New York, Florida, and Texas, among others. This demonstrates the widespread concern among state attorneys general regarding the alleged harmful practices of Meta.

In 2018, the BBC reported that former Mozilla and Jawbone employee Aza Raskin compared the addictive nature of social media interfaces to "behavioural cocaine," with engineers intentionally designing them to keep users coming back. Mr. Raskin, a prominent technology engineer, had created the habit-forming feature of infinite scroll in 2006.

The lawsuit against Meta highlights the growing concern about the impact of social media on youth mental health and the need for stronger regulations to protect young users. The attorneys general are seeking to hold Meta accountable for its alleged harmful practices and to ensure the well-being of children and teens in the digital age.