Meta, the parent company of Facebook, deliberately engineered its social platforms to engage and hook children.
The documents, part of a lawsuit filed by attorneys general from 33 states, claim that Meta knew about millions of complaints regarding underage users on Instagram but only disabled a fraction of those accounts, as per AP News.
Meta Has Big 'Open Secret'
This photo illustration created in Washington, DC, on July 6, 2023, shows the opening page of Threads, an Instagram app, near the Meta logo. More than 10 million people have signed up to Threads, Meta's rival to Twitter, within the first few hours of its launch, the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg said July 6. The app went live on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries at 2300 GMT on July 5, 2023, and will run with no ads for now, but its release in Europe has been delayed over data privacy concerns.
According to the complaint, Meta officials acknowledged that the company designed its products to exploit shortcomings in youthful psychology, such as impulsive behavior, susceptibility to peer pressure, and underestimating risks.
The lawsuit alleges that since at least 2019, Meta knowingly refused to shut down most accounts belonging to children under 13 while collecting their personal information without parental consent.
The attorneys general from 33 states accuse Meta of receiving over a million reports of under-13 users on Instagram between early 2019 and mid-2023. Despite this, the complaint states, "Meta disabled only a fraction of those accounts."
The federal complaint calls for court orders to prohibit Meta from practices that allegedly violate the law, with potential civil penalties reaching hundreds of millions of dollars.
The lawsuit contends that Meta violated state-based consumer protection statutes and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule, which prohibits companies from collecting personal information from children under 13 without parental consent.
The complaint points out that Meta's records reveal millions of children under 13 using Instagram, some spending over five hours daily on the platform, according to KSL.
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Meta's Algorithmic Impact on Instagram
Internal communications cited in the complaint reveal Meta's awareness that its algorithm could steer children toward harmful content, impacting their mental well-being. Concerns were raised about Instagram's algorithm amplifying unfavorable social comparisons and content that could make users feel worse about their bodies or appearance.
Despite internal research confirming these concerns, the lawsuit alleges that Meta refused to change its algorithm, prioritizing engagement over user well-being. The complaint accuses Meta of profiting from children's pain by intentionally designing platforms with manipulative features fostering addiction and lowering self-esteem.
Meta responded to the allegations, stating that the complaint "mischaracterizes our work using selective quotes and cherry-picked documents." The company acknowledged the complexity of verifying ages online but emphasized its commitment to safe online teen experiences.
The lawsuit argues that Meta chose not to build effective systems to detect and exclude underage teen users, viewing them as a crucial demographic for future growth.
It further accuses the tech giant of "automatically" ignoring some reports of under-13 users and allowing them to continue using the platform. As Meta faces this legal firestorm, the lawsuit reflects growing concerns about the impact of social media on youth mental health.
The allegations underscore the need for accountability and regulatory measures to address the alleged exploitation of children on these platforms, prompting a reexamination of ethical practices in the tech industry, The Independent reported.
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