The governments of over 40 states in the United States have entered into legal action to sue Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, alleging that the technology company harms the mental and physical health of young people.
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The attorneys general of 42 U.S. states claim that Meta fueled the current mental health crisis among young people, as the company was not transparent and misled users of its applications about the dangers of their usage, leading to compulsive and addictive use of social networks.
According to information from Reuters, a formal document outlining the complaints was submitted to the federal court in Oakland, California. In it, the U.S. governments state that the company “exploited powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice (…) and ultimately trap young people and teenagers for profit.”
Among the problems caused by the compulsive use of social media by young people, the document points to “depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life, and many other negative outcomes.”
