A coalition of 29 US states and bereaved families has filed a lawsuit against Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram. Proceedings began in a federal district court in California, with the case focusing on allegations that Meta used designs that fostered addiction among children and neglected safety measures.
Proceedings began in a federal district court in California, US, in a lawsuit against Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram. The case was brought by a coalition of 29 US states and bereaved families, and centers on allegations that Meta used designs that made children addicted in its pursuit of profit.
Representatives of the bereaved families said Meta recognized the risk of addiction but failed to take appropriate action. They alleged that mechanisms that intensified psychological distress isolated children and lured them into drug deals and sexual abuse. The complaint described the children as having been “killed by a company that neglected safety measures, rather than by an accident or suicide.”
Meta denies the states’ allegation that it sought to make children addicted in pursuit of profit. The claims of both sides are expected to be examined against specific evidence as the lawsuit proceeds.