The parent companies of Facebook and Instagram are facing new lawsuits for allegedly exploiting young people for profit.
This lawsuit was filed by a Beasley Allen Law Firm attorney, in his lawsuit he accuses Meta of using additional psychological tactics to get people to use their platform more often and failing to protect young and at-risk users.
"The defendants knew that their related products and services were harmful to young and impressionable children and adolescents, but they completely ignored their own information," attorney Beasley Allen and Chief of Mass Torture Andy Birchfield said in a statement. us from the New York Post, Tuesday (14/6/2022).
"They implement sophisticated algorithms designed to encourage frequent access to the platform and prolonged exposure to harmful content."
Lawsuits filed in Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas claim that prolonged exposure to Meta and its platforms has caused or attempted suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and reduced ability to sleep, among other mental health conditions.
Beasley Allen was referring to the October 5, 2021, senate hearing that included testimony from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who accused Meta of prioritizing profits over efforts to stop public harm.
"Social media use among young people should be seen as a major contributor to the mental health crisis we are facing in this country," Birchfield said.
"These apps could have been designed to minimize potential harm, but instead, the decision was made to aggressively addict teens to the name of corporate profits. It's time for this company to acknowledge the growing concern around the impact of social media on the mental health and well-being of the most vulnerable sections of society. us and changing algorithms and business goals that have caused so much damage."
Instagram acknowledged that its apps could be harmful to young users after The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) released an internal document three years ago summarizing the findings of researchers tapped by the tech giant to examine the app's impact on young users' mental health.
The WSJ revealed a study found that 32% of teenage girls who feel bad about their bodies say Instagram actually exacerbates the problem.
Karina Newton, Instagram's Head of Public Policy, said in a blog post in September 2021 that Instagram supports research, which demonstrates the company's commitment to understanding the complex and difficult issues young people may face, and informing all of the work Instagram is doing to help those experiencing it. this problem.
"We're proud that our app can give a voice to those who are marginalized, can help friends and family stay connected from all corners of the world, and can drive social change; but we also know it can be a place where people have negative experiences, as called Journal of the day," Newton said in a blog post.
He added that Instagram had taken steps to combat issues such as bullying, self-harm, suicide and eating disorders related to users.
This app has created a feature so that users can protect themselves from bullying and gives users the option to hide the number of likes on their posts.