Meta Faces Lawsuits Over Addictive Platforms, Teen Mental Health

Meta Platforms will face lawsuits brought by U.S. states accusing it of contributing to teen mental health issues by making its Facebook and Instagram platforms addictive, according to a ruling by a federal judge in California.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, based in Oakland, rejected Meta’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuits, which were filed by over 30 states, including California and New York, and a separate lawsuit by Florida.

While the judge limited some of the claims under Section 230, a federal law that offers certain protections to online platforms, she found that the states had provided enough evidence regarding allegedly misleading statements by Meta to allow most of the case to proceed.

In addition, Judge Rogers denied motions from Meta, along with TikTok (owned by ByteDance), YouTube (owned by Alphabet), and Snapchat (owned by Snap), to dismiss related personal injury lawsuits filed by individuals. However, those companies are not named in the states’ lawsuits.

This ruling enables the states and other plaintiffs to gather more evidence and potentially go to trial. It does not resolve the case on its merits but represents a significant step forward for the plaintiffs.

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasized that “Meta needs to be held accountable for the harm it has inflicted on children.”

Lawyers representing individual plaintiffs hailed the decision as a “significant victory” for young people affected by social media. In response, a Meta spokesperson said the company disagreed with the ruling and highlighted efforts to support parents and teens, such as introducing “Teen Accounts” with additional protections on Instagram.

Google also rejected the allegations, stating that providing safer online experiences for young people has always been a priority.

The states are seeking court orders to stop Meta’s alleged illegal business practices and monetary damages.

Hundreds of lawsuits accuse social media companies of creating addictive algorithms that cause anxiety, depression, and body image issues in adolescents while failing to warn of these risks.