NYC sues social media owners, alleges Big Tech made platforms addictive

In January, New York City became the first major U.S. city to declare social media an “environmental toxin.” On Wednesday, Feb. 14, Mayor Eric Adams announced that New York City has filed a lawsuit against five social media companies, alleging Facebook, Instagram, Google, YouTube and Snapchat knowingly made their platforms addictive for teens.

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The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages from the companies and aims to hold Big Tech more accountable.

Adams claims New York City spends $100 million each year on mental health services and programs for adolescents. According to ABC News, the city is seeking to have some of that repaid in the lawsuit.

“NYC Plaintiffs have incurred and will continue to incur costs related to addressing the youth mental health crisis that Defendants created, caused, contributed to, and/or maintained,” the lawsuit said. “NYC Plaintiffs request relief relating to the damage or injury they have suffered, including actual and compensatory damages in an amount to be determined at trial.”

“Over the past decade, we have seen how addictive and overwhelming the online world can be, exposing children to content they are not ready for, disrupting the educational process, and seriously damaging their self-esteem,” Adams said during a press conference Wednesday.

In addition to the lawsuit, New York City officials are also calling for increased mental health care, pointing to data that shows rates of “suicidal ideation” have increased among adolescents. City officials are also requesting more research on the impact social media is having on the mental health of teens.

Recently, social media companies have faced increased scrutiny from state and national politicians. Several social media CEOs were questioned and scolded by some U.S. lawmakers during public testimony. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was pushed to apologize by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., during the hearing.

“Would you like to apologize to the victims who have been harmed by your product?” Hawley said. “Would you like to apologize for what you’ve done to these good people?”

“I’m sorry for everything you have been through,” Zuckerberg said as he faced the families in the audience. “No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered.”

Zuckerberg did, however, contend that a decline in mental health among teens is not directly related to his product.

In response to the New York City lawsuit, a Meta spokesperson told Reuters the company wanted teens to have “safe, age-appropriate experiences online.” A TikTok spokesperson also responded to ABC News’ report on the lawsuit, saying the company will “continue to work to keep the community safe by addressing industry-wide challenges.”

Google also issued a statement defending the company against the lawsuit.

“We’ve built services and products to give young people age-appropriate activities, experiences, and parents robust controls,” Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesperson, told Reuters. “The allegations in this complaint are simply not true.”

Snapchat also released a statement to ABC News.

“While we will always have more work to do, we feel good about the role Snapchat plays in helping close friends feel connected, happy, and prepared as they face the many challenges of adolescence,” said Ashley Adams, a Snapchat spokesperson.

While New York City looks to take legal action against social media companies, a federal judge in Ohio granted tech industry group NetChoice, which represents Facebook and TikTok among others, a legal win.

U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley ruled that an Ohio law requiring people under the age of 16 to get parental permission to use social media is unconstitutional, according to Reason Magazine.

“Foreclosing minors under the age of 16 from accessing all content on websites that the act purports to cover, absent affirmative parental consent, is a breathtakingly blunt instrument for reducing social media’s harm to children,” Marbley wrote.

Marbley’s temporary injunction is another blow to an increasing trend nationwide of requiring age verification to use social media apps. A federal judge ruled in September that an age restriction in Arkansas violated the First Amendment, blocking the law.