12/10/2023 0 Comments Ags tracking mem4132478![]() Last year, a bipartisan group of state AGs said they are investigating TikTok over similar child online safety concerns. "This is not just about Meta, but as one of the biggest players and as an entity where there's clear evidence of misleading the public and making deliberate decisions that hurt kids, I think it's appropriate that we lead off with this particular lawsuit," he said. Skrmetti told reporters that the Meta lawsuits are just one part of "an industry-wide investigation." Several of the practices the attorneys general focus on for Meta are similar to those exercised by other social media businesses, such as designing algorithms to keep users engaged. "We're disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path." ![]() ![]() "We share the attorneys general's commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement. Schwalb is among the attorneys general who filed an individual suit against Meta alleging it violated the district's consumer protection law. "It should have been the practice of Meta to alert people that they were dealing with a dangerous, potentially addictive product before they started using it," District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb told CNBC in a phone interview. Following the report, Instagram said it was working on ways to pull users away from dwelling on negative topics. One set of documents about Instagram's impact on teens found that "thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse," The Wall Street Journal reported before Haugen made her identity known. Indeed, internal studies that Meta commissioned - and kept private until they were leaked by a whistleblower and publicly reported - reveal that Meta has known for years about these serious harms associated with young users' time spent on its platforms."įormer Facebook employee Frances Haugen caused an uproar among lawmakers and parents in 2021 after leaking internal documents from the company that revealed internal research on its products. "Meta's own internal research documents show its awareness that its products harm young users. ![]() "While Meta has publicly denied and downplayed these harmful effects, it cannot credibly plead ignorance," James' office wrote in a press release. Meta was well aware of the negative effects its design could have on its young users, the attorneys general allege. The states are seeking an end to what they see as Meta's harmful practices, as well as penalties and restitution. The federal suit also accuses Meta of violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, by collecting personal data on users under 13 without parental consent. The company also includes features that the AGs allege negatively impact teens' mental health through social comparison or promoting body dysmorphia, such as "likes" or photo filters. According to the federal complaint, Meta did this via the design of its algorithms, copious alerts, notifications and so-called infinite scroll through platform feeds. Meta designed its Facebook and Instagram products to keep young users on them for longer and repeatedly coming back, the attorneys general allege. In 2020, 48 states and territories sued the company on antitrust grounds, alongside a separate complaint from the Federal Trade Commission. It's not the first time a broad coalition of state attorneys general have teamed up to go after Meta. That's why we dedicated level resources of the state agencies brought together here addressing issues that are top of our national agenda." "This is not a case that we know is going to be decided very quickly. "This is not an action we take lightly," Colorado AG Phil Weiser said at the press conference. And so for all of the attorneys general from both parties, people who frequently disagree very vocally and very publicly, to all come together and to move in the same direction, I think that says something." "We have polarization the likes of which we have not seen since the Civil War. "This is a tough time in America," Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said at a press conference after the lawsuit was filed. The lawsuits are another demonstration of the bipartisan priority state law enforcers have placed on protecting kids and teens from online harm. Personal Loans for 670 Credit Score or Lower Personal Loans for 580 Credit Score or Lower Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit
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