Statement on Lawsuit by States Against Meta’s Role in Youth Mental Health Crisis

For Immediate Release
October 24, 2023
Contact: press@accountabletech.org

Accountable Tech Executive Director Nicole Gill issued the following statement on today’s lawsuit by more than 40 state attorneys general against Meta’s addictive product design features and their role in the youth mental health crisis:

“We applaud today’s bipartisan lawsuit by state attorneys general to curb Big Tech’s unchecked power over our daily lives and protect young people from the online harms they face every day. Meta has operated without any regard for their role in the youth mental health crisis, focusing solely on maximizing their profits by creating addictive design features. They have refused to work collaboratively with youth leaders and advocates, instead funding groups like NetChoice to lead a nationwide lobbying campaign to kill state-level legislation to protect our children online, recently suing to block the unanimously passed California Age-Appropriate Design Code. This is their modus operandi; they offer platitudes and press releases about their commitment to young people’s well-being, while fighting tooth and nail to obstruct real progress and preserve their exploitative business practices. Now is the time for accountability.”

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