Dozens of states sued Instagram-parent Meta on Tuesday, accusing the social media giant of harming young users' mental health through allegedly addictive features such as infinite news feeds and frequent notifications that demand users' constant attention.
In a federal lawsuit filed in California by more than 30 attorneys general, the states allege that Meta's products have harmed minors and contributed to a mental health crisis in the United States.
Tuesday's multipronged legal assault marks the newest attempt by states to rein in large tech platforms over fears that social media companies are fueling a spike in youth depression and suicidal ideation.
It follows a raft of legislation in states ranging from Arkansas to Louisiana that clamp down on social media by establishing new requirements for online platforms that wish to serve teens and children, such as mandating that they obtain a parent's consent before creating an account for a minor, or that they verify users' ages.
In some cases, the tech industry has challenged those laws in court — for example, by claiming that Arkansas' social media law violates residents' First Amendment rights to access information.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated
