Meta faces major legal showdown over Facebook, Instagram child addiction claims; All details

Mark Zuckerberg-owned Social media giant Meta is currently facing a major legal battle over how Facebook and Instagram affect children and teenagers. In 2023, a bipartisan group of 29 US states, including California and New York have filed a lawsuit accusing Meta of violating federal and state laws designed to protect children's privacy.

The group is also seeking billions of dollars in penalties and demands a change in how Facebook and Instagram operate. In terms of changes, the group is asking Meta to consider removing "like" counts and changes to features such as infinite scrolling.

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One state attorney general has called the lawsuit "the largest consumer protection lawsuit in American history", highlighting how significant the case is.

Why is Meta under fire?

According to reports, California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are leading the case against Meta, alleging that Facebook and Instagram are highly addictive for young users. The trial is taking place in federal court in Oakland, California. The states have accused these platforms of causing serious problems among young people, such as anxiety, depression, and even suicide.

They also accuse Meta of misleading consumers about how safe its platforms are. Separately, all 29 states accuse Meta of violating federal law by improperly collecting and using children's personal information.

California's deputy attorney general Megan O'Neill alleged that Meta's business model is designed to keep young people hooked and collect their data. “It worked especially well for kids,” O'Neill said. “Meta needed kids, and it needed to reassure the people who cared about those kids that the kids are safe.”

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On the other hand, Meta's lawyer Paul Schmidt denied the claims and said that Mark Zuckerberg plans to improve its services. A BBC report also quoted a Meta Spokesperson who said, “We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”

Meta’s legal battle continues

This is not the first time Meta has been accused of putting user engagement ahead of the well-being of young users. A judge in New Mexico recently ruled against Meta and ordered it to pay a combined $942 million fine. The judge also ordered Meta to make changes to how its platforms operate, similar to the lawsuit in the US.

On the other hand, Meta is also facing heat from the Indian government over child abuse content and demands strict compliance with Indian law. The government demands a proactive system to detect and prevent CSAM circulation, content-moderation policies with domestic legal frameworks, and a human-in-the-loop review process to stop automated systems from misclassifying genuine content.