Larissa May’s Post

42 U.S. states, including California, Colorado, New York, and Illinois, have jointly sued Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging that the company deliberately designed its platforms to attract children, causing harm to their mental health. The lawsuit claims that Meta violated state and federal laws by prioritizing engagement of young users. It accuses Meta of using addictive features while downplaying the risks to children and disregarding research on the harm caused to young users. The lawsuit highlights the violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and state consumer protection laws. The legal action aims to address concerns about social media's impact on young users and might lead to changes in the industry. #MetaLawsuit #ChildSafety #SocialMediaImpact 😡📱 https://buff.ly/3tKZcGS

Meta faces big suit in US filed by over 40 States. "Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame," said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement announcing the suit. It's alleged that Meta designed products (Instagram and Facebook) that are "deliberately addictive and fuel mental health crisis". The lawsuits are seeking to have Meta's design "dopamine manipulating" features considered unlawful under State Consumer Protection laws. As such Sec 230 of Communication Decency Act 1996 protects social media cos from being held legally responsible for contents generated by the users. What will be the impact on PI/E&O policy is not very much clear...will any standard exclusion come into play? If the allegations in lawsuit are successful then in D&O policy will "Anti Trust /Unfair Trade Practice exclusion" deny Meta any coverage for its Directors and Officers even in "Legal representation to investigation and examination"? "Crisis communication cover" seems to be the only logical avenue to some policy benefit but currently there is no such "material effect on Meta's stock price" that can trigger "Crisis services" Time will only unfold the outcome.

41 states and Washington, D.C. have launched lawsuits against Meta, arguing that its platforms are addictive and cause harm to kids.   This is why we need to pass our widely supported Kids Online Safety Act. https://lnkd.in/eBT9v4qQ #kidsonlinesafety #kidsonlinesafetyact #protectchildren #protectkids #protectkidsonline #onlineharms #privacy #meta #socialmedia #addictivesocialmedia

Did you know that Instagram's parent company, Meta, is facing a major legal battle? Dozens of states, including New York and Florida, have sued Meta, alleging that the addictive features of their social media platforms, such as infinite news feeds and constant notifications, have had a detrimental impact on the mental health of young users. They claim that these features intentionally make children addicted while lowering their self-esteem. These lawsuits, filed in both federal and state courts, accuse Meta of violating consumer protection laws and the federal children's privacy law (COPPA). This legal action comes after a thorough investigation initiated in 2021, backed by internal documents revealed by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. The states are pushing for accountability and changes to protect young users' mental health. . . . #MetaLawsuit #SocialMediaImpact #YouthMentalHealth #DigitalWellbeing #MetaSued #OnlineAddiction #MentalHealthCrisis #COPPA #TechAccountability #ProtectingYouth . . .

Good move by State Attorneys General. This may seem like a peripheral issue as related to data privacy, but the goal of keeping children online is to create and promote habits that allow for the collection of behavioral and private data. From the article: "Meta designed its Facebook and Instagram products to keep young users on them for longer and repeatedly coming back, the attorneys general allege. According to the federal complaint, Meta did this via the design of its algorithms, copious alerts, notifications and so-called infinite scroll through platform feeds." #meta #privatedata #dataprivacy #dataprotection #dataprivacylaw #pii #coppa #onlineprotection #behavioraldata #dataabuse ##privacylaw #privacyprotection #juststopalready #seriously

Tech CEOs face US Senate grilling over kid content . Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the chief executives of X, TikTok, Discord and Snap face a grilling by US lawmakers on Wednesday over the dangers that social media platforms bring to children and teens. #TechTrends #TechInnovationsDaily #DigitalFrontiers #FutureTechInsights

⚖ A bipartisan group of 42 attorneys general is suing Meta, alleging that features on its Facebook and Instagram social media platforms are addictive and are aimed at kids and teens, the group announced Tuesday. The support from so many state attorneys general of different political backgrounds indicates a significant legal challenge to Meta’s business. Meta is now facing multiple lawsuits on this issue in several districts. Attorneys general from 33 states filed a federal suit against Meta in the Northern District of California, while nine additional attorneys general are filing in their own states, according to a press release from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office. Besides New York, the states that filed the federal suit include California, Colorado, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin. The lawsuits are another demonstration of the bipartisan priority state law enforcers have placed on protecting kids and teens from online harm. “This is a tough time in America,” Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said at a press conference after the lawsuit was filed. “We have polarization the likes of which we have not seen since the Civil War. And so for all of the attorneys general from both parties, people who frequently disagree very vocally and very publicly, to all come together and to move in the same direction, I think that says something.” “This is not an action we take lightly,” Colorado AG Phil Weiser said at the press conference. “This is not a case that we know is going to be decided very quickly. But it’s of the utmost importance. That’s why we dedicated level resources of the state agencies brought together here addressing issues that are top of our national agenda.” #facebook #instagram #meta #socialmedia #attorneygeneral

The Montana suit, like those filed against Meta previously, cites violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and alleges breaches of state consumer protection acts, taking issue with Meta’s handling of children’s data and parental consent, which COPPA requires for children under 13. Part of Montana’s demand is an injunction requiring Instagram to comply with COPPA’s parental consent provisions. Where it differs is that while the earlier-filed cases focus on Facebook and Instagram encouraging compulsive use and getting children to compare themselves to unrealistic standards, the Montana case primarily challenges Meta’s content disclosures. It alleges while Meta’s platforms claim on the App Store and elsewhere to allow “infrequent/mild” showings of sexual, suggestive and crude content, the disclaimers mislead Montana consumers into thinking those types of content are less common than they actually are. https://ow.ly/B3m950Qfl9i

Forty-one US states and D.C. are taking legal action against Meta, accusing the tech giant of harming children with addictive features on Instagram and Facebook. These lawsuits stem from a 2021 investigation, revealing manipulative tactics and violations of children's privacy laws. State officials claim Meta knowingly kept young users on their platforms, compromising their mental health. However, Meta spokesperson Liza Crenshaw said that the company is “disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path.” The attorney general said that civil penalties, changes in business practices, and restitution are all on the table as potential consequences. This marks a significant effort to address social media's impact on children's well-being. #Dataprivacylaws #dataprivacy #datanalyst #dataprivacyanalyst #childprotectionlaws #meta #TechNews #SocialMedia #ChildSafety

Unmasking the Digital Truth: Attorney General Ferguson’s Bold Move Against Meta for Youth Mental Health\n\nIn an unprecedented legal action, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, along with a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general, has taken a significant step by filing a federal lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. This lawsuit is a critical response to the escalating concerns over the impact of social media on the mental health of young users.\n\nCentral to the lawsuit is the allegation that Meta, under the leadership of CEO Mark Zuckerberg, knowingly designed its platforms with addictive features targeting youth. These features, such as the “like” button, push notifications, and the infinite scroll, are accused of harnessing dopamine responses to keep young users engaged, exploiting their fear of missing out. This design strategy, Ferguson argues, disregards the well-being of millions of vulnerable users, particularly children and adolescents.\n\nThe lawsuit also charges Meta with violating state consumer protection laws and the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting data from users under 13 without parental consent. The lawsuit aims to reform Meta’s social media platforms, making them safer for young users by potentially altering or eliminating addictive features and improving age verification processes.\n\nThis action reflects growing scrutiny of Meta’s practices and a collective effort to protect the mental health of the youth, a concern echoed by experts, including the U.S. Surgeon General. The lawsuit underscores the pressing need for accountability and ethical responsibility in the digital age. \n\nCredit: @komo4 \n\n#MetaLawsuit #YouthMentalHealth #SocialMediaCrisis #DigitalAddiction #FacebookReform #InstagramImpact #TechEthics #ProtectOurYouth #ConsumerProtection #OnlineSafety #COPPA #MentalHealthAwareness #DigitalWellbeing #TechAccountability #AddictiveDesign #UserSafety #SocialMediaHarm #DataPrivacy #ChildSafetyOnline #MentalHealthAdvocacy #EthicalTech #YouthProtection #OnlineBehavior #DigitalResponsibility #InternetSafety #TechGiants #SocialMediaLaw #MentalHealthReform