Lauren Feiner’s Post

An unsealed legal complaint alleges that Meta (parent to Facebook and Instagram) knowingly allows underage children on its platform and purposely engineered the product to addict them. 👀 To be fair, it does that to all of us with minimal stopping cues. Always be somewhat leery of a platform without stopping cues. This typically indicates that It wants you to binge unhealthily. The story that really raised my eyebrows was about the mother of a 12 year-old girl who asked Meta to remove the account of her 12-year old daughter. Supposedly, it wasn't removed because they couldn't verify that the girl was under 12. Then, how do they age verify anyone? 🚩🚩 The complaint also alleges that there is a backlog of 2.5M potential underage accounts awaiting action. If true, 🚩🚩 Also, the lawsuit purports to demonstrate that Meta knowingly created products to addict children. This one might be difficult to prove in its effort to addict all of us. In other words, may be difficult to show that children specifically were targeted in that effort. Somewhat ironic that I wrote this with my Meta AI x Ray-ban sunglasses on my head. 🤓 #meta #socialmedia

While Meta ahould be held accontable, because of their inability to take down all spammers, scammers, and other posts, parents alao have a role to play in tgis. Parents need to have conversations with their kids about the risks of social media. Parents are very much responsible for this as well. IGNORE TAGS #meta #socialmedia #facebook #instagram #technology #tech #health #mentalhealth #parenting

Under pressure, Meta say it will change how it delivers some content to children. Here's what you need to know: 1. Meta will be increasing its content restrictions, particularly for children. This involves applying the most restrictive content controls for their accounts and expanding the number of terms it restricts on Instagram and Facebook search. The company is also focusing on excluding content relating to self-harm or unsafe topics from recommendations. 2. The tech giant is planning to protect children's privacy more thoroughly by pushing teens to update their Instagram privacy settings more easily and regularly. 3. Despite these actions, critics argue Meta's efforts are insufficient and late, with allegations that this is another attempt to avoid regulation. These claims are backed up by past failures of the company to improve safety after making similar promises in 2019. The announcement comes as Meta is under increased scrutiny for the type of content it provides to minors and usage of their data. Learn more by visiting The Record from Recorded Future News: https://lnkd.in/gK5NCFhx

Instagram's Impact on Youth Mental Health Sparks Legal Action 💥📢 🔥 🔥 🔥 READ DETAILS 👇 👇 👇 📑 In a significant development, dozens of US states have jointly filed a federal lawsuit, asserting that Meta, the parent company of Instagram, deliberately employed addictive features to captivate users, all the while concealing the considerable risks associated with its platforms. Meta expressed disappointment in response to these allegations. The lawsuit alleges that Meta violated consumer protection laws through its involvement in "deceptive" practices. Additionally, it contends that the company unlawfully gathered data from children below the age of 13, a direct infringement of its obligations under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. 🚫🧒 New York Attorney General Letitia James, among 33 state attorneys general who endorsed the lawsuit, emphasized, "Social media companies, including Meta, have contributed to a national youth mental health crisis and they must be held accountable." Nine more states have echoed these concerns in separate lawsuits. ⚖️🗽 A Meta spokesperson stated that the company shares the commitment of the attorneys general to ensuring "safe, positive experiences online" for teens. They pointed out that Meta has already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families. Expressing disappointment, the spokesperson remarked that instead of collaboratively establishing clear, age-appropriate standards for the various apps used by teens, the attorneys general have chosen to pursue legal action. 🛡️👨👧👦💻📲 Source: https://lnkd.in/g5SNhx64 #Technology #ProtectingOurYouth #MindfulSocialMedia #MentalHealthJustice #agriculture #ai #computersystem #machinelearning #programminglanguages #coders #programmingislife #programmingisfun #software #languageprocess #TeqmonServices #2k23

As a social media marketer and consumer of social media, I commend AG Miyares in his efforts to reduce the exploitation of minors on social platforms, particularly those under the oversight of Meta. Per usual, technology is moving too quickly for legal regulations to address this issue efficiently. While Instagram and parent company Meta may not have legal obligation to reduce child exploitation, I would argue it has a moral obligation. Social media should seek first to do no harm. Like those of us working in the confines of the highly regulated healthcare system, all social media platforms should do their part to reduce risks for children. Do the right thing. Address the clear and obvious gaping vulnerabilities identified by Meta staff. Don’t wait for the lawmakers to catch up. The dangers are expansive. Take expansive measures to protect kiddos at every opportunity. #meta #instagram #childsafety #AGMiyares #virginia #SocialMedia #corporateresponsibility

The recent 𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 42 𝐔.𝐒. 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 about the impact of addictive content on users, particularly children and teenagers. The lawsuit alleges that Meta has utilised powerful technologies to engage and, in some cases, ensnare young users with content designed for profit. It accuses Meta of downplaying the potential dangers of its Social Media Platforms. Whether Meta's platforms actually harm users with addictive content is a subject of debate and further investigation. It's important to consider that social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, use algorithms to engage users and keep them on the platforms. These algorithms are designed to maximise user interaction and, consequently, advertising revenue. Research has indicated potential negative effects of excessive social media use, such as impacts on mental health and well-being. This lawsuit highlights the ongoing debate about the ethics of technology companies and their role in user well-being. It's a complex issue that will likely continue to evolve as technology and its effects on society are better understood. Read more from the link and share your feedback. #Meta #Facebook #Instagram #SocialMedia #TechNews #TechCrunch #AddictiveContent #UserWellBeing #TechEthics

📣 Major Update on Children's Digital Safety from Meta 📣 Meta has announced sweeping changes to its platforms, aimed at enhancing the safety and privacy of minors. Here's what you need to know: 🔒 Stricter Content Controls: Meta will apply the "most restrictive content control settings" to teen accounts on Instagram and Facebook, effectively hiding more sensitive content. This move addresses concerns about the exposure of young users to harmful material. 🔍 Restrictions on Search Terms: The tech giant will limit search terms related to suicide, self-harm, and other unsafe topics on its platforms. They're taking an extra step by not only hiding rule-breaking search results but also extending this to more terms. 🚫 Content Recommendation Limits: Instagram will no longer recommend posts about self-harm and other potentially dangerous topics in feeds and stories. This is a crucial step in preventing inadvertent exposure to harmful content. 🛡️ Enhanced Privacy Settings: Meta is introducing easier ways for teens to update their privacy settings on Instagram, including quick options to restrict who can interact with their content. This announcement comes amidst increasing regulatory pressure and public scrutiny over children's online safety. Meta's commitment to over 30 tools and resources for protecting children online is a significant step, but critics argue it's overdue. 🤔 Your Thoughts? Is this enough to protect our children online? What more should tech giants do? #DigitalSafety #OnlinePrivacy #Meta #Instagram #Facebook #TechNews #ChildSafety https://lnkd.in/ehNUqRqV

“How Meta can- or be forced to- avoid addicting kids” When 41 states and D.C. sued Meta, Facebook’s parent company, more than a month ago, their complaint was redacted to the point of illegibility. Now, an unredacted version has emerged, and it’s well worth the read. The state attorneys general claim, essentially, that Meta is exploiting its younger users for profit, privately prioritizing growth over teens’ well-being, even as it claims publicly that safety is paramount: “The lifetime value of a 13 y/o teen is roughly $270,” one internal company email counsels. This mind-set, the attorneys general say, informed the very design of the company’s products. And it has led executives, counter to internal research, to back off proposals that would improve those products by discouraging “problematic use” — a jargony way of saying addiction. (Meta has disputed that characterization.) Obviously, Meta is a business, and moneymaking is what businesses do. Current law does little to restrain social media services from luring users down the rabbit hole, and, for the most part, that’s how it should be. Yet there is leeway for the government to place restrictions on products that harm children’s health. The type of problematic use the complaint describes, hours spent scrolling, is precisely the kind that research shows damages minds not yet fully formed. The state attorneys general might nevertheless struggle in the courts. The complaint is on the firmest legal footing in its charges relating to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which sets strong restrictions on companies’ relationships with users under the age of 13. COPPA both restricts the ways platforms can collect and process data on those users and requires parental consent to create accounts. Because these rules are onerous, platforms generally prohibit under-13s from signing up at all — but, as any parent well knows, that doesn’t actually stop them. (CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the complaint alleges, received a report in 2015 that about one-third of all 10-to-12-year-olds in the country were on Instagram.) This means that platforms end up collecting all the data they’re not supposed to gather without any of the consent they’re supposed to obtain. The state attorneys general contend that Meta’s platforms teem with tweens because the company isn’t searching particularly hard for them. The evidence they present, including unanswered reports of accounts by underage users, appears compelling; Meta predictably responds that the complaint is stuffed with “selective quotes and cherry-picked documents.” A judge will now decide, and COPPA’s strong language gives the attorneys general a substantial argument. 👇🏻See more here 👇🏻

Do you know what social media sites your children visit? The online playground is dangerous! Keeping track of your children online is a constant challenge of #digitalparenting - perhaps more so in blended families. 👉 Visit our website to learn how we can help. #onlinesafetymatters #sextortion #predators #pornharms #endexploitation #everaccountable

Unprecedented federal suit, joined by states, accuses Meta platforms of harming children. Here's what you need to know: 1. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has been sued by the federal government and dozens of states, with them alleging that the platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive and have caused significant harm to children’s mental health. The lawsuit accuses Meta of "cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits". 2. The complaint claims that Meta deceived users about the potential harms of its products. It further alleges Meta violated federal children’s privacy laws by illegally collecting personal data from minors without obtaining parental consent. 3. This legal action expands on a 2021 investigation centered around whether Meta violated consumer protection laws by promoting its social networking products to children. The lawsuit reveals greater scrutiny of social media companies, with the Federal Trade Commission pledging to increase regulation within the sector. Learn more by visiting The Record from Recorded Future News: https://lnkd.in/eTZU82Df