PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Is Instagram ruining the mental and physical health of the nation’s youth?
On Tuesday 33 states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware filed a lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging just that.
The more than 200-page complaint filed in a California federal court claims the company deliberately exploited and manipulated children and teens with features designed to keep their eyes on their screens, even though its own internal research showed those features were potentially damaging, and that it lied about the harm they caused.
The suit also claims the company routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parent's consent, in violation of federal law.
The broad-ranging federal suit is the result of an investigation led by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont.
It follows reports from The Wall Street Journal in 2021 based on Meta's research that found the company knew about the harms Instagram can cause teenagers — especially teen girls — when it comes to mental health and body image issues.
An internal study even found that 13.5% of teen girls say Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse, and 17% of teen girls say it makes eating disorders worse.
“As a parent, I am horrified by what I read and if the complaint is eventually unsealed, I know you will be too,” said New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin.
In addition to the 33 states involved in the suit, nine attorneys general are filing lawsuits in their respective states, bringing the total number of states taking action to 41, and Washington, D.C.
A Meta spokesperson says the company is disappointed that the states sued rather than work with social media companies to create age-appropriate standards.
They sent a statement saying Meta is committed to safe, positive online experiences for youth and that it’s introduced 30 tools to aid in that goal. The complaint dismisses many of them as easy to bypass.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.