Mo Attorney General Joins Lawsuit Against Meta

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has announced a plan to join 33 states in a lawsuit against Meta alleging that Meta designed and deployed harmful features for Facebook and Instagram to addict young users to its platforms and enhance its bottom line.

The lawsuit says Meta concealed the severity of the potential psychological harm which may stem from social-media platforms, including the addition to the platforms.

The federal lawsuit asserts that Meta violated state consumer protection laws by assuring the public that the platforms are safe and suitable for young users, but continued practices which harmed and continue to harm the mental and physical health of teenagers and pre-teens.

The complaint further also alleges that Meta violated federal law – and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act – when the company, aware that users younger than 13 were actively on its platforms, collected data from users younger than 13 years old without parental consent.

The release from the Missouri Attorney General’s office says much of the lawsuit relies on confidential material not yet available to the public, but some sources – including disclosures from former Meta employees – detail how the company deliberately sought to gain financially by addicting teens and tweens to its platforms.

Meta also allegedly used features such as infinite scroll and near-constant alerts in a concerted effort to hold young users’ attention. Such manipulative tactics entice teens and tweens to continually return to the platforms. Instead of disclosing the harm and making meaningful changes to minimize it, Meta publicly advertised their platforms as safe for young users.