Arizona is one of 42 states suing Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
Attorneys general say the company added harmful features to its platforms that are addictive to children and teens. Earlier this year, the U.S. surgeon general warned that social media use was a main contributor to depression, anxiety and other problems in American teenagers.
They claim Meta is harming young people’s mental health and contributing to the youth mental health crisis.
They blame features like infinite scroll and near-constant alerts for hooking young users. They say Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, which is a violation of federal law.
At the same time, they claim Meta falsely assured the public that those features were safe and suitable for young users.
The multi-state coalition is also investigating TikTok’s conduct on a similar set of concerns.
In a statement, Meta said it’s committed to giving teens safe, positive experiences online and has already introduced more than 30 tools to support teens and their families.
