Digital Scoop India Official Platform of Digital Scoop India Featuring Latest & Best News #Articles #Bytes #Entertainment #DigitalScoopMagazine
Related Articles
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is facing legal action from over 40 U.S. states, with allegations of harming the mental health of young users and profiting from their suffering. The lawsuit, filed in the federal court in Oakland, California, adds to the mounting scrutiny surrounding social media giants and their treatment of their youngest audience.
The suit contends that Meta engaged in deceptive and unlawful practices that exploit vulnerable youth for financial gain. More specifically, the states are seeking a court order to compel Meta to cease these practices and impose civil fines for every alleged violation of state and federal laws.
Central to the legal filing is the argument that Meta’s business model is designed to “exploit” young users, encouraging them to spend more time on the platform while disregarding the potential harm to their health.
This legal action comes in the wake of heightened concerns about the impact of social media on young people’s well-being. It gained significant attention in 2021 when former Meta employee Frances Haugen emerged as a whistleblower. She leaked over 20,000 pages of internal documents, sparking a wave of criticism over the social media giant’s prioritization of profit over user safety.
Haugen’s revelations prompted investigations and hearings, during which she emphasized Facebook’s failure to effectively address toxic content and expressed skepticism about the company’s willingness to change its practices. In response to these controversies, Facebook rebranded itself as Meta later in the same year.
Meta has asserted its commitment to ensuring teenagers’ safety online and claims to have introduced more than 30 tools to support young users and their families. The company expressed disappointment at the lawsuit, emphasizing its belief that state attorneys general should collaborate with the broader social media industry to establish age-appropriate standards.
Meta’s response also highlighted the firm’s development of tools within its apps to support teenage users and to provide parents with control over online activity. The company contended that singling them out was unjust, considering the popularity of competitors like TikTok, YouTube, and Snap.
As the legal battle unfolds, Meta’s actions and responsibilities toward young users continue to be a subject of intense scrutiny, with potential implications for the broader social media industry’s practices.
Sources By Agencies
