States file Meta lawsuit alleging Zuckerberg opposed ban on image filters that could harm users’ mental health

Meta image filters lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Thirty-three states filed a lawsuit against Meta in October.
• Why: The lawsuit alleges that Meta deployed harmful features on Instagram and Facebook and knew the features led to their mental and physical detriment.
• Where: The Meta image filters lawsuit was filed in federal court in California.

A new, largely unredacted version of an October lawsuit that 33 states filed against Meta illustrates allegations that the company knew features on Facebook and Instagram can exacerbate mental and physical health issues, but continued to implement the features anyway.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally vetoed a proposed ban on image filters that simulated the effects of plastic surgery, despite pushback from within the company and experts stating that the filters harm users’ mental health, especially for women and girls, according to the Meta lawsuit.

“Meta knows that what it is doing is bad for kids — period. Thanks to our unredacted federal complaint, it is now there in black and white, and it is damning,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said. “We will continue to vigorously prosecute this matter.”

Meta prioritizes time spent on apps, knows dangers of features, internal documents show

Meta set explicit goals of increasing “time spent” and meticulously tracked engagement metrics, including among teen users, the Meta lawsuit says. However, the company has stated publicly it does not prioritize the amount of time users spend on Meta platforms.

Meta data showed that users were experiencing harm on its platforms at far higher rates, internal documents show, but the company publicly said that the platforms were safe, according to the Meta lawsuit. 

Millions of children younger than 13, at one point around 30% of all 10- to 12-year-olds, use Meta’s social media platforms, and the company collects their personal information, the internal documents showed. But Zuckerberg told Congress in 2021 that it kicks off users who are younger than 13.

A whistleblower told a Senate subcommittee earlier this month that Meta and its top executives, including Zuckerburg, ignored warning signs that their platforms were harmful to the mental health of teens.

Have you seen filters or features on Instagram or Facebook that you think could be harmful to children? Let us know in the comments.

The 33 plaintiff states are represented by their attorneys general.

The Meta image filters lawsuit is State of Arizona, et al. v. Meta Platforms Inc., et al., Case No. 4:23-cv-05448-YGR, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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