Washington, Nov. 19 (BUS) – A group of state attorneys general is investigating the photo-sharing platform Instagram and its effects on children and young adults, saying parent company Facebook – now called Meta Platforms – has ignored internal research into the physical and mental health risks it poses to young people.
The investigation is being led by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont.
It comes on the heels of damning press reports, first by the Wall Street Journal, based on the company’s own research that found the company was aware of the damage Instagram can cause teens when it comes to mental health.
The investigation targets, among other things, the techniques Meta uses to keep young people on its platforms – and the damage that long time spent on Instagram can cause.
In a statement, Meta spokeswoman Lisa Crenshaw called the accusations “false” and said they showed a “profound misunderstanding of the facts.”
The lawsuit, brought by the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, alleges that Facebook buried uncomfortable findings about how the company managed those algorithms as well as the steps it said it was taking to protect the public.
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