A coalition of 42 attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit against Meta, alleging that the company designed addictive features that harm youth mental health and violated COPPA by collecting children's data without parental consent. The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, monetary penalties, and restitution.
The lawsuit requests an injunction to halt the deployment of harmful features, monetary penalties, and restitution for affected users.
In-house legal teams should review all vendor, customer, and data processing agreements that involve minor users or youth-oriented services, particularly those related to social media platforms, educational tools, or gaming. Specific clauses to scrutinize include: data collection consent mechanisms (ensuring verifiable parental consent for users under 13), age verification procedures, restrictions on addictive or manipulative design features (e.g., infinite scroll, push notifications), algorithmic transparency requirements, data retention schedules for minor data, and user safety/disclosure obligations. Agreements may need amendments to incorporate robust age-gating, obtain explicit parental consent, limit features that encourage compulsive use, add clear warnings about mental health risks, and ensure compliance with COPPA and analogous state laws. Employee agreements involving access to minor data should also be assessed.
Entity
Meta
Industry
Social MediaOfficial Press Release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2023/attorney-general-james-and-multistate-coalition-sue-meta-harming-youth
meta multistate complaint
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/meta-multistate-complaint.pdf
New York Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://ag.ny.gov/press-releases
"Meta"
"Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)"
"Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without informing parents or obtaining parental consent"
"designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram, Facebook, and its other social media platforms that purposefully addict children and teens"
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into Meta regarding its Meta AI Glasses, alleging unlawful collection of facial biometric data, deceptive privacy representations, and unauthorized sharing of user data with subcontractors. The investigation follows concerns that the glasses’ always-on recording mode lacks proper notice, subcontractors access private user content including intimate moments, and Meta plans to deploy facial recognition technology to collect unsuspecting individuals’ facial geometry. The AG issued a Civil Investigative Demand to determine if Meta violated Texas law by deceptively misrepresenting its data use practices.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, leading a coalition of 35 attorneys general, urged Meta to enforce its policies against misleading AI-generated weight loss ads on Instagram and Facebook. The ads promote non-FDA approved GLP-1 drugs without disclosing risks and use fake AI content. The coalition demands Meta restrict such ads, require clear risk disclosures, and label AI-generated content.
$1.4B
Meta captured facial recognition data from millions of Texans without consent, violating Texas biometric privacy laws. The company agreed to pay $1.4 billion over five years to settle the case. This is the largest privacy settlement obtained by a single state.
The FTC proposed modifications to its 2020 privacy order with Meta, alleging violations including non-compliance with the order, misleading parents about Messenger Kids, and unauthorized data sharing. The proposed changes include banning monetization of youth data, pausing new product launches, and strengthening privacy requirements.
New York Attorney General Letitia James obtained a temporary restraining order from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California blocking Paramount Skydance Corp.'s proposed $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. The lawsuit alleges the merger would illegally reduce competition in film and television, leading to higher prices and fewer choices for consumers.
$18.0M
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a bipartisan coalition of 42 other attorneys general secured an $18 million settlement from genetic testing company 23andMe for failing to protect customers' private genetic data. The October 2023 data breach exposed sensitive genetic information of 6.9 million consumers, including 305,245 in New York, with some data published for sale on the dark web. The settlement includes monetary penalties and new data protection requirements for the company and its successor, 23andMe Research Institute.