Utah is joining dozens of other states in filing a lawsuit against Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and Threads.
Utah’s lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Salt Lake City’s 3rd District Court, accuses the company of harming the youth of the state through Facebook and Instagram.
“Over the past decade, Meta—itself and through its flagship social media products Facebook and Instagram —has profoundly altered the psychological and social realities of a generation of young Americans, harnessing powerful and unprecedented technologies to ensnare youth to the detriment of their mental health. In the process, Meta has misled consumers and the public about the nature of its Social Media Platforms and has taken advantage of children all in the name of maximizing profit. Meta’s strategic choice to exploit and manipulate children in this way, and to inflict upon them longlasting harms to their well-being, is repugnant and unlawful,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit accused Meta of developing addictive features like “infinite scroll,” “autoplay,” and short-form videos “designed to discourage children’s attempts to self-regulate and disengage with Meta’s products.”
An email sent to Meta’s press office seeking comment was not immediately returned on Tuesday.
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