(WWJ) Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a bipartisan, multi-state investigation into Meta Platforms Inc. (formally Facebook) for promotion of Instagram to children and teens.
This promotion is despite knowing use is associated with physical and mental health consequences, according to Nessel.
“Rebranding your company does not excuse you from accepting responsibility for the harm inflicted by your social media platform,” Nessel said in a release. “As recent congressional testimony has shown us, Meta’s own internal data makes clear the negative impact social media has on users, especially our youth, while the company profits. I’m proud to join my colleagues in this investigation. Given it is newly launched and ongoing, I will not be discussing any specifics beyond this announcement.”
She is one of at least 10 attorney generals across the country participating in the investigation.
Meta’s own internal research shows that using Instagram is associated with increased risks of physical and mental health harm on young people, including depression, eating disorders, and even suicide; the press release said.
The Facebook Papers, a document of tens of thousands of pages and as many gigabytes in data, was leaked to journalists in October by a former employee, Frances Haugen. According to the New York Times, the documents showed that approximately one-third of teenage girls said in a survey that Instagram made them feel worse about their bodies when they already felt badly about themselves.
An NPR report said Haugen further testified before Congress that 13.5% of teen girls said Instagram worsens suicidal thoughts and 17% of girls that age said that the social media platform contributed to their eating disorders. In her testimony, she spoke about the prevalence of human traffickers and drug cartels on the app.
Related
The evidence and controversy lead to then-Facebook hitting pause on developing Instagram for Kids.
However, Meta Platofrms clapped back in a statement late September—saying the research was taken out of context. They said Instagram’s research showed that, in scores of 11 of the 12 wellbeing issues, teenage girls said the platform actually made them feel better about themselves rather than worse. See their full response here.
Nessel’s concern about Instagram and young people dates back months. She was a part of 44 attorneys general calling upon the company to abandon the development of Instagram for Kids this spring. In October, she joined a bipartisan coalition of 52 attorneys general expressing support for hearings by the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security on the protection and safety of children using social media.
