Social media addiction lawsuit overview:
- Who: Four parents filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., Instagram LLC, Facebook Operations LLC, Snapchat Inc., TikTok LLC, ByteDance Inc. and YouTube LLC.
- Why: The parents allege the companies engineered addictive social media platforms, promoted harmful content and failed to warn families about the risks to children.
- Where: The social media addiction lawsuit was filed in Delaware state court.
- How to get help: If you or your child used social media between the ages of 5 and 17 and suffered mental health harm as a result, you may qualify to join a social media addiction lawsuit.
The parents of four children who died by suicide have filed a lawsuit against Meta, Google, TikTok, Snap and other social media companies, alleging the companies’ addictive platform designs and algorithms contributed to their children’s deaths.
According to the complaint, Olivia Castro, Nathaniel Chambers, Dawson Holden and Rivers Kelleher began using social media platforms, such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, when they were as young as 10 years old.
The parents allege the children’s use of the platforms intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when increased screen time and isolation made them more susceptible to the allegedly addictive features.
The lawsuit claims the companies deliberately designed their platforms and content-pushing algorithms to maximize children’s engagement while exposing them to harmful content related to anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation.
According to the complaint, the companies knew about these risks through internal research and other information but continued to reassure parents and young users that their products were safe.
Social media companies allegedly prioritized ad revenue over children’s safety
The parents in the social media addiction lawsuit allege the companies actively concealed the dangers associated with their platforms, downplayed evidence of harm and prioritized user engagement and advertising revenue over children’s safety.
They claim the defendants failed to disclose known risks despite being aware that their platforms could contribute to deteriorating mental health among young users.
The lawsuit details the experiences of each child, including Castro, whose parents allegedly installed parental controls on her devices.
Despite those measures, Castro was able to create secret Instagram and Snapchat accounts, where she allegedly received a steady stream of beauty advertisements and diet-related content. The lawsuit says her sleep and mental health worsened before she died by suicide at age 13.
The parents are seeking compensatory, treble and punitive damages as well as injunctive relief requiring changes to the defendants’ platforms and business practices.
According to a Law360 report, Google said it is reviewing the allegations and noted it has worked with mental health and parenting experts to create age-appropriate experiences and parental controls for young users. The other defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, a federal judge allowed an August bellwether trial to proceed in litigation accusing Meta Platforms of designing Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to young users in violation of consumer protection and children’s privacy laws.
Have you or your family been affected by harmful content or addictive features on social media platforms? Let us know in the comments below.
The plaintiffs are represented by Matthew P. Bergman and Laura Marquez-Garrett of the Social Media Victims Law Center PLLC and Joseph J. Rhoades and Stephen T. Morrow of Rhoades & Morrow LLC.
The social media addiction lawsuit is Castro, et al. v. Meta Platforms Inc., et al., case number not yet available, in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware.
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