Florida has asked a state judge to order Meta to overhaul how Facebook and Instagram treat young users, pressing ahead with its own lawsuit against the company after declining to join the sweeping $18 billion settlement Meta reached with nearly all other US states in August.
In a filing in a Pasco County court, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier asked for a temporary injunction that would force Meta to identify and remove users under the age of 14 from its platforms in the state, limit teens to two hours a day across all its apps, and turn off features such as autoplay and infinite scroll for them. The filing asked that the changes be implemented immediately and remain in place while the lawsuit moves forward.
A lone holdout
Florida's lawsuit accuses Meta of knowingly engineering its platforms to be addictive for young users and misleading consumers about their safety. It was one of dozens of similar lawsuits filed by states across the country. In August, Meta reached settlements with 48 of the other states and Washington DC, agreeing to pay up to $18 billion and make changes for teen users of its platforms.
Meta has said it works hard to keep teens safe on its platforms and denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. The total payout represents about three to four months of profit and roughly one month of revenue for the company. Uthmeier, a Republican, opted not to join the settlement and to proceed with his lawsuit instead.
Florida said in the filing that the settlement amounted to a "mere slap on the wrist" that would be "cynically viewed as the cost of doing business" and would not prevent this kind of behaviour going forward.
Stricter demands
The changes Uthmeier's filing seeks are more stringent than those Meta agreed to in the settlement: they would cut off teens' access to messaging after their time limits are hit and bar the company from showing them advertisements. Uthmeier's office argued that the changes Meta agreed to make as part of the settlement are themselves an indication that these changes are possible.
A Meta spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the filing.
Sources:
Florida asks court to force Meta to change Facebook, Instagram for teens — Reuters
Florida asks court to force Meta to change Facebook, Instagram for teens — The Economic Times
In a filing in a Pasco County court, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier asked for a temporary injunction that would force Meta to identify and remove users under the age of 14 from its platforms in the state, limit teens to two hours a day across all its apps, and turn off features such as autoplay and infinite scroll for them. The filing asked that the changes be implemented immediately and remain in place while the lawsuit moves forward.
A lone holdout
Florida's lawsuit accuses Meta of knowingly engineering its platforms to be addictive for young users and misleading consumers about their safety. It was one of dozens of similar lawsuits filed by states across the country. In August, Meta reached settlements with 48 of the other states and Washington DC, agreeing to pay up to $18 billion and make changes for teen users of its platforms.
Meta has said it works hard to keep teens safe on its platforms and denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. The total payout represents about three to four months of profit and roughly one month of revenue for the company. Uthmeier, a Republican, opted not to join the settlement and to proceed with his lawsuit instead.
Florida said in the filing that the settlement amounted to a "mere slap on the wrist" that would be "cynically viewed as the cost of doing business" and would not prevent this kind of behaviour going forward.
Stricter demands
The changes Uthmeier's filing seeks are more stringent than those Meta agreed to in the settlement: they would cut off teens' access to messaging after their time limits are hit and bar the company from showing them advertisements. Uthmeier's office argued that the changes Meta agreed to make as part of the settlement are themselves an indication that these changes are possible.
A Meta spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the filing.
Sources:
Florida asks court to force Meta to change Facebook, Instagram for teens — Reuters
Florida asks court to force Meta to change Facebook, Instagram for teens — The Economic Times
