Social media companies such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. could face a serious legal challenge.
A consolidated complaint addressing the Northern District of California is being prepared for submission in February. It asserts that tech giants are creating products and platforms that contribute to mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, and even eating disorders.
Social Media Negatively Affects Mental Health
They assert that these platforms contribute to a variety of mental disorders among young members of society. From their perspective, the use of social media companies’ products is addictive and must be regulated. The attorneys hope to persuade the court of the urgent need to regulate these platforms.
Keeping up with the influx of social media content from various sources can be challenging. Numerous young people have found themselves submerged in an ocean of nonstop social media posts. Meta has publicly acknowledged that it is aware that young Instagram users suffer from a variety of mental disorders.
The content posted on these social media platforms is not, however, curated by the companies. This may present a difficulty for the case against companies. These contents are generated by millions of users from all over the world who share their thoughts on various platforms.
Social media platforms have been able to exclude certain types of content. However, this does not appear to be sufficient as the younger generations continue to be at risk for mental illness. The content on these platforms tends to shape the way these young people think and instill in them unhealthy social values.
The attorneys involved in this case against companies are seeking regulations to govern social media posts. These regulations will help to reduce the amount of harmful content that young users of social media consume. If the court finds the lawyers’ argument convincing, companies will be compelled to update their regulations.
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Facebook Reacts
Meta has not yet responded to these charges. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, has stated publicly that he is open to any constructive feedback (or new regulations) that Congress may have for the company.
However, applying product liability law to an algorithm is a relatively bold move, as a product is typically something more tangible in court, such as a washing machine or a motorcycle. Companies are also protected by the argument that the content they present is not theirs, but rather something that users have uploaded, and therefore cannot be used against them in court.
Regardless, this is merely the most recent development in the fight to regulate platforms. The effects on younger generations are only now becoming apparent, and if additional regulation can help improve mental health for everyone, it’s probably the right decision.
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