The suit alleges that Meta knowingly designed and deployed addictive features that put Kentucky’s youngest residents at risk despite claiming the features were safe. It was filed in federal court for the Northern District of California.
“Protecting the safety and well-being of our most vulnerable remains my utmost priority,” Cameron said in a news release. “Meta has disingenuously downplayed the devastating effects of its platforms to exploit every scroll, click, and tap of our youth. This social media giant must stop these reckless actions and must be held accountable.”
The release said, "Meta maximized profits by monetizing children’s addiction. Features like infinite scroll and near-constant alerts were created with the express goal of hooking young people, according to former employees, and its algorithms push users into descending 'rabbit holes' in an effort to maximize engagement. The social media company also targeted young users to maximize their profits, calling them a 'valuable, but untapped market'."
Citing reports, the suit alleges that the social media giant knew the techniques negatively impacted young people’s physical and mental health, such as undermining their ability to get adequate sleep. However, Meta failed to make meaningful changes to minimize the harmful effects. The suit also cites the finding of a “youth mental health crisis” by the U.S. surgeon general.
The nes release said the suit was "brought by General Cameron and 41 attorneys general on behalf of their states," but also said it was filed by "Kentucky and 32 states" and the complaint listed only 33 states. Cameron's spokeswoman, asked for a clarification, did not reply Tuesday.
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