New York City’s mayor Eric Adams has announced the latest lawsuit targeting social media giants over teen safety.
His administration is suing five – TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snap and YouTube – accusing them of “fuelling the nationwide youth mental health crisis”.
Cue a now-familiar politician-statement taking the platforms to task. “Our city is built on innovation and technology, but many social media platforms end up endangering our children’s mental health, promoting addiction, and encouraging unsafe behaviour,” said Adams.
“This lawsuit and action plan are part of a larger reckoning that will shape the lives of our young people, our city, and our society for years to come.”
The action plan being a separate (but linked) initiative also announced yesterday. The lawsuit zeroes in on the platforms’ recommendation algorithms; systems of user interactions “using mechanics akin to gambling”; and other features “encouraging teens to return to the platform again and again and perpetuating online engagement and immediate responses”.
It’s the latest such lawsuit, but possibly the widest ranging, since many have focused on just one or two platforms.
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