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New York City has filed a lawsuit against a host of companies including Instagram owner Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) and TikTok parent ByteDance, for allegedly contributing to a mental health crisis among children due to social media addiction.
The 327-page lawsuit, filed in a Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, accuses the tech giants, including Google parent Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Snap Inc (NYSE:SNAP) of “gross negligence” and creating “public nuisance.”
The complaint alleges that the companies have tailored their platforms to “exploit the psychology and neurophysiology of youth.”
The city is seeking damages from the companies, attributing their platforms to a rise in compulsive usage, lost sleep, and chronic school absences among the youth.
The lawsuit also holds the social media platforms accountable for an increase in “subway surfing,” a dangerous activity that has resulted in the deaths of at least 16 individuals, including two girls, aged 12 and 13.
Meta, Google, Snap and TikTok did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s requests for comment.
This lawsuit is part of a larger trend of increased scrutiny on the impact of social media on young users. Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission initiated an investigation into the potential negative effects of AI chatbots on children and teenagers, including those used by Meta, Google, and Snapchat.
It is also one of roughly 2,050 similar cases nationwide, with New York City—representing 8.48 million residents, including 1.8 million children—among the largest plaintiffs, encompassing its school and healthcare systems.
Meanwhile, tech companies have been taking steps to address these concerns. Meta, for instance, intensified efforts to protect young users on its platforms by purging over 600,000 predator accounts and implementing new safety tools.
Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter, now rebranded as X, warned about the potential dangers of social media for children, stating that they are being “programmed by a dopamine-maximizing AI.”
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
