"In a 327-page lawsuit filed Wednesday in the Manhattan federal court, the city alleged that Meta, Alphabet, Snap, and ByteDance created a "public nuisance" and a " youth mental health crisis" by intentionally exploiting the psychology of young users to keep them hooked. The city alleged in the complaint that the platforms' algorithms are designed to maximize engagement at the expense of children's mental health, contributing to sleep loss, chronic absenteeism, and risky behavior such as "subway surfing," meaning riding on top of moving trains."
""Social media use by teens has recently been implicated in alarming increases in dangerous and even deadly off-campus activity in New York City," the lawsuit alleges. "One such dangerous type of conduct known to be spreading through viral social media posts is 'subway surfing.'" The lawsuit cited data from the NYC Police Department that at least 16 teens have died in such incidents since 2023, including two girls aged 12 and 13, who died this month."
New York City filed a 327-page federal lawsuit in Manhattan against Meta, Alphabet, Snap, and ByteDance, asserting the companies intentionally designed platforms to exploit young users' psychology and create a public nuisance and a youth mental health crisis. City officials link algorithm-driven engagement to sleep loss, chronic absenteeism, and risky behaviors including subway surfing. City data cites at least 16 teen deaths in such incidents since 2023 and indicates schools and public health systems bear costs for abatement. City officials seek accountability and financial relief. Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and the mayor's office did not immediately comment.
Read at Business Insider
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