Massachusetts Court Hears Arguments in Lawsuit Alleging Meta Designed Addictive Apps for Kids
Massachusetts’ highest court heard oral arguments regarding a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Andrea Campbell against Meta. The state alleges that Meta intentionally designed features on Facebook and Instagram, such as endless scrolling and constant notifications, to be addictive to young users for profit. This strategy reportedly affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts. State Solicitor David Kravitz emphasized that the claim focuses on design tools encouraging addiction, rather than content moderation or algorithms. Meta’s attorney, Mark Mosier, defended the company, arguing that the lawsuit imposes liability for traditional publishing functions protected by the First Amendment. However, judges expressed concern that the case centers on manipulative design mechanisms exploiting teenagers' fear of missing out, rather than the speech content itself. This legal battle is part of broader federal and state actions against Meta, including a 2023 joint lawsuit by 33 states over data collection violations. Critics cite internal studies linking Instagram use to worsened mental health issues among teen girls, while Meta maintains its commitment to youth safety and disputes allegations of insufficient action.
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Massachusetts Court Hears Arguments in Lawsuit Alleging Meta Designed Addictive Apps for Kids
Massachusetts’ highest court heard oral arguments regarding a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Andrea Campbell against Meta. The state alleges that Meta intentionally designed features on Facebook and Instagram, such as endless scrolling and constant notifications, to be addictive to young users for profit. This strategy reportedly affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts. State Solicitor David Kravitz emphasized that the claim focuses on design tools encouraging addiction, rather than content moderation or algorithms. Meta’s attorney, Mark Mosier, defended the company, arguing that the lawsuit imposes liability for traditional publishing functions protected by the First Amendment. However, judges expressed concern that the case centers on manipulative design mechanisms exploiting teenagers' fear of missing out, rather than the speech content itself. This legal battle is part of broader federal and state actions against Meta, including a 2023 joint lawsuit by 33 states over data collection violations. Critics cite internal studies linking Instagram use to worsened mental health issues among teen girls, while Meta maintains its commitment to youth safety and disputes allegations of insufficient action.
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