In an unprecedented move, the mayor of New York Eric adams announced yesterday that the administration has filed a lawsuit against social media. What do you mean by "social media"? Social media, yes. The companies of TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube. The accusation is serious: their services would harm the mental health of young adults and children in the largest city in the United States.
This trial marks a crucial moment in the fight against the impact of social media on our society. And it highlights the responsibilities of digital platforms towards their youngest users.
The New York lawsuit
New York, along with various plaintiffs including the school district and healthcare organizations, has filed the case in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, California. The choice of jurisdiction is not random, but reflects the companies' ties to the area.
The complaint alleges that Meta (formerly Facebook), Snap (Snapchat), ByteDance (TikTok), and Google (whose parent company is Alphabet) they have consciously designed, developed and promoted their platforms to attract, capture and addict young people, all with minimal parental supervision.
The accusations and the consequences
The social platforms are accused of violating several city laws related to public nuisance and gross negligence through the design and marketing of their “addicted” products. According to the plaintiffs, New York school districts and various health and social services have been severely affected by the negative mental health consequences of children resulting from the use of these popular social media apps.
Faced with these serious accusations, companies have not remained silent. A TikTok spokesperson said the company has "industry-leading safeguards" for teens, including parental controls and age-restricting features. Similarly, a Google representative rejected the allegations, saying that “providing young people with a safer and more uplifting online experience has always been at the heart of our work.”
The broader context
The New York lawsuit reflects and amplifies growing concerns about the impact of social media on young people's mental health. This is not an isolated case, but part of a wider debate which involves legislators and regulators at a global level. The issue raised by New York City marks a pivotal moment in the fight to regulate tech giants, with potentially far-reaching implications for the future of social media and the well-being of its youngest users.
The lawsuit filed by the Big Apple is the first "serious move" in a necessary assault on the social responsibility of technology companies. I hope that New York will follow other cities, including European ones, to force companies to look for concrete solutions to mitigate the impact of social media on mental health. We need a change of direction in the digital industry to protect future generations.
