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New York City Sues Social Media Giants Over Harm To Child Mental Health

By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted February 15, 2024

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said his administration has sued the corporations behind TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube.

The complaint says these platforms cause harm to the mental health of the city's youth.

The city of New York, with plaintiffs, including the school district and health organizations, filed the lawsuit in the California Superior Court's Los Angeles county branch.

The suit has been filed in California because of the companies’ ties to the area.

The lawsuit accuses Meta, Snap, ByteDance, and Alphabet of designing their platforms to lure, ensnare, and addict young users while circumventing parental oversight.

The plaintiffs claim these practices have violated local laws against public nuisance and gross negligence.

They allege the use of popular social media apps among children has led to adverse mental health outcomes, affecting the city's educational institutions and health and social services.

Mayor Adams said: “Over the past decade, we have seen just how addictive and overwhelming the online world can be, exposing our children to a non-stop stream of harmful content and fueling our national youth mental health crisis.”

Social media companies deny the accusations

In response to the lawsuit, representatives from the companies have defended their platforms.

TikTok highlighted its commitment to safety with industry-leading safeguards, including parental controls.

Google refuted the allegations, underscoring its efforts to ensure a safer online environment for young users through collaboration with experts.

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Meta pointed to a decade-long commitment to online safety, emphasizing tools and features designed for teen and parent use.

A Snap spokesperson said, "Snapchat was intentionally designed to be different from traditional social media,” focusing on facilitating conversations with close friends.

Social media companies have previously faced similar challenges in impacting youth mental health.

In 2022, the Northern District of California sued the same companies for promoting excessive screen time and associated harms.

Additionally, a coalition of over 40 attorneys general has taken legal action against Meta.

They accused its products of being addictive and detrimental to mental health.

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