New Jersey, leading a coalition of 41 other attorneys general, sued Meta for knowingly designing addictive Instagram and Facebook features targeting children and teens while falsely claiming the platforms were safe. The lawsuit alleges Meta collected personal data from users under 13 without parental consent, violating the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and state consumer protection laws like the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act.
The complaint seeks injunctive relief to stop Meta's alleged unlawful practices and monetary damages to redress harms caused to children and teens.
In-house legal teams should review customer-facing agreements (e.g., terms of service, privacy policies) and data processing agreements (e.g., with vendors or advertisers) to ensure they contain specific clauses protecting children's data. Focus on provisions requiring parental consent for users under 13, robust age verification mechanisms, data minimization for minor users, and explicit compliance with COPPA and state laws like the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act. Agreements may need amendments to include mandatory safety representations for young users, restrictions on addictive feature design targeting minors, audit rights for compliance verification, and indemnification for violations. Vendor contracts should also mandate that subcontractors adhere to these child privacy standards.
Entity
Meta Platforms, Inc.
Also known as: Meta
Industry
Social MediaOfficial Press Release
https://www.njoag.gov/ag-platkin-41-other-attorneys-general-sue-meta-for-harms-to-youth-from-instagram-facebook/
2023 1024 Meta Multistate Federal Complaint (N.D. Cal.) FINA
https://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases23/2023-1024_Meta-Multistate-Federal-Complaint-(N.D.-Cal.)-FINAL-REDACTED.pdf
1519847869591
https://njoag.app.box.com/s/tesznr0himfxy0fbhifg19znt9eg9hdk/file/1519847869591
New Jersey Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-of-consumer-affairs/
"sued Meta"
"knowingly designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and Facebook to purposefully addict children and teens"
"knowingly collected data from these users without the parental consent that is required by federal law"
"Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)"
"New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act (CFA)"
The Virginia Attorney General, as part of a multistate coalition, secured a court ruling allowing their case against Meta to proceed to trial. The case alleges that Meta designed and deployed harmful features on its platforms that addict children and teens, causing severe mental and physical detriment. The trial is scheduled for August.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Bureau of Securities issued a public warning to state residents about fraudulent investment schemes proliferating on Meta-owned platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The alert details common scam tactics such as pump-and-dump schemes, confidence scams, and fraudulent cryptocurrency offerings, and provides tips for residents to avoid victimization. No enforcement action against any entity was announced in this release.
$1.4B
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a record-setting $1.4 billion settlement with Meta for unlawfully capturing and using the biometric data of millions of Texans, marking one of the largest privacy settlements in U.S. history.
Attorney General William Tong led a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general in urging Meta Platforms to protect users from fraudulent investment ads on Facebook that facilitate pump-and-dump schemes, causing significant financial losses. The coalition calls for enhanced ad review processes, including human review for investment ads, and suggests ceasing investment ads if scams cannot be curbed.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general in sending a letter to Meta Platforms, Inc. to address the rising number of Facebook and Instagram account takeovers by scammers. The coalition criticizes Meta's inadequate security measures and calls for improved protections including multi-factor authentication, increased staffing for response, and stronger enforcement against scammers. The letter urges Meta to take immediate action to safeguard user accounts from hijacking and fraud.
New Jersey is co-leading a nationwide investigation into whether Instagram and its parent company Meta Platforms, Inc. are violating state consumer protection laws by employing techniques that induce children, teenagers, and young adults to use the platform in potentially harmful ways. The bipartisan coalition of attorneys general is examining the potential mental and physical health harms resulting from extended engagement, including depression, anxiety, and body image issues.