States sue Meta for harming young people’s mental health, collecting data on children

By BARBARA ORTUTAY
AP Technology Writer

A group of 33 states including California, New York, Arizona and Indiana are suing Meta Platforms Inc. for harming young people’s mental health and contributing the youth mental health crisis by knowingly designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to the platforms. The lawsuit filed in federal court in California also claims that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of federal law.