Meta designed platforms to get children addicted, court documents allege
The latest in the constant stream of accusations against big tech giant Meta, formerly known as Facebook, involves allegations that the company specifically designed its platforms to addict vulnerable children.
A newly unsealed legal complaint has revealed shocking details about Meta's secretive practices, and some states, including Colorado, are taking a stand against these harmful actions.
According to the complaint, Meta not only knew about the presence of millions of underage users on its platforms, but also purposely allowed them to keep their accounts. The company received over 402,000 reports of underage users on Instagram in 2021 alone, yet only disabled a fraction of those accounts. This alarming revelation highlights Meta's blatant disregard for the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act, which requires parental consent for collecting data from children.
The complaint also includes allegations that Meta intentionally targeted children under the age of 18, catering to their vulnerabilities and exploiting them for profit. This chilling reality was brought to light by whistleblower Frances Haugen, who revealed that internal studies showed platforms like Instagram can lead children to anorexia-related content and intentionally target young users.
Even Meta's own documents show a clear acknowledgment of their products' addictiveness and the company's exploitation of youthful psychology.
An internal presentation from 2020 discussed how product development could take advantage of young brains' tendency to be driven by "emotion, the intrigue of novelty, and reward." And yet, despite these damning revelations, Meta continues to deny any wrongdoing and claim they have "over 30 tools" in place to protect young users.
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Colorado and 32 other states are taking legal action against Meta, seeking justice for the harm caused to children and their families.
Critics of the social media giant say the company's attempts to shift responsibility to app stores and parents is simply passing the buck and does not address the root issue of Meta's deceitful and manipulative practices.