State attorneys general probing Instagram’s effects on kids

By BARBARA ORTUTAY
AP Technology Writer

A group of state attorneys general are investigating Instagram and its effects on children and young adults, saying its parent company Facebook — recently renamed Meta Platforms — ignored research about the harms it causes to young people. The investigation is led by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont. It comes on the heels of damning newspaper reports, first by The Wall Street Journal, that found that the company knew about the harms Instagram can cause to teenagers when it comes to mental health and body image issues.