Ten states probing whether Instagram has broken consumer protection laws with content targeted at children

by mcardinal

Savannah Hulsey Pointer, FISM News 

 

 

Attorney generals from 10 states are investigating the potentially damaging effects of Instagram, and whether the company has broken any laws with its questionable business practices.

Instagram, a subsidiary of Meta, formerly known as Facebook, was the subject of concern amongst government officials as more information has surfaced that they could be intentionally engaging in the exploitation of minors for profit. 

Media Research Center released their report on Friday saying that the attorney generals from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, and Vermont, have launched their investigations as to whether Meta has violated consumer protection laws through their platform, resulting in the mental health breakdown from extended use of social media apps like Instagram. 

“As adults, especially those of us who are parents, we need to realize that social media companies do everything they can to encourage our kids to be on their platforms for as long as possible and to get as much personal information about them as possible. That worries me, and it’s why attorneys general across the country need to use our authority under our consumer protection laws to investigate these social media platforms,” Alan Wilson, the Republican Attorney General of South Carolina, said.

Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California and a staunch Democrat, said in his statement that Meta appears to have intentionally ignored the damaging effects their product is having on users, particularly young users.

“For too long, Meta has ignored the havoc that Instagram is wreaking on the mental health and well-being of our children and teens,” Bonta said. “Enough is enough. We’ve undertaken this nationwide investigation to get answers about Meta’s efforts to promote the use of this social media platform to young Californians – and to determine if, in doing so, Meta violated the law.”

CNN reported that Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is co-leading the investigation and said in a statement that the coalition plans to “get to the bottom of this company’s engagement with young users, identify any unlawful practices, and end these abuses for good.”

“Facebook, now Meta, has failed to protect young people on its platforms and instead chose to ignore or, in some cases, double down on known manipulations that pose a real threat to physical and mental health — exploiting children in the interest of profit,” Healey said. 

Information prompting the investigations was taken largely from an extensive trove of documents brought to the public domain by a whistleblower, Francis Haugen, whose work shows that the company has conducted their own research that showed how badly Instagram can impact their user’s mental health, body image, and other problematic concerns. 

FISM previously reported that Ohio’s Attorney General David Yost sued Meta for securities fraud, citing deceptive practices that posed a threat to the public and children and recently made national headlines for a pair of high-profile human trafficking stings. He filed the suit on behalf of the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System and Facebook investors. 

Yost has accused Meta of destructive dealings with children, including taking part in a group of 44 state attorneys general who sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg urging the Meta CEO to halt plans for a children’s version of Instagram.  

A Meta spokesperson staunchly contradicted the accusations, telling The Associated Press that they demonstrate “a deep misunderstanding of the facts.”

“While challenges in protecting young people online impact the entire industry, we’ve led the industry in combating bullying and supporting people struggling with suicidal thoughts, self-injury, and eating disorders,” spokesperson Liz Crenshaw said in the statement.

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