33 States Sue Meta for Targeting Vulnerable Children With ‘Addictive’ Features

Research shows link between use of their platforms and ‘depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life,’ the complaint states.

Meta has experienced varying degrees of setbacks in the development of AI and Threads. On the left is an image of Threads integrated with Instagram, and on the right is the Meta logo. Stefani Reynolds/AFP

More than 30 U.S. states have joined a lawsuit against Instagram and its parent company Meta over claims that the company damaged the mental health of its younger users.

In a federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California with the support of 33 bipartisan attorneys general, the complainants accused Meta, formerly known as Facebook, of deliberately implementing addictive features targeting younger children.