Nevada sues social media platforms for allegedly 'deliberately' addictive features causing harm to children

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford (D) filed a lawsuit against several social media companies on Tuesday, claiming the platforms use "deliberately" addictive algorithms that are harming children.

A recent press release from the Nevada Attorney General's Office revealed that the state is taking legal action against social media platforms to "address harms caused… to Nevada's youth."

"My commitment to protecting consumers, particularly those that are as vulnerable as our youth, is unwavering," Ford stated. "Bringing this litigation is an important step toward ensuring social media platforms put our children's safety before their profits. I look forward to working closely with our partners to protect the youth of our state."

The lawsuit was filed against TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger, the AG's office reported. The complaint "alleges the algorithms used by the platforms have been designed deliberately to addict young minds and prey on teenagers' well-understood vulnerabilities."

"The litigation alleges these actions have encouraged problematic internet usage and caused young people harms to mental health, body image, physical health, privacy, and physical safety," the AG's office added.

According to Fox Business, the complaint further accused the platforms of being a "hazard to public health" by using "false, deceptive and unfair marketing" designed to appeal to young people.

The AG's office noted that the social media giants use "endless scrolling, dopamine-inducing rewards, disappearing content, likes, shares, push notifications, and other elements to maximize youth use, manipulate young emotions, and exploit children's developing minds — all for massive financial gain."

It alleged that the platforms have been "linked to serious dangers to kids," suggesting that the social media companies are partly responsible for "auto accidents, increases in drug overdoses, suicides, eating disorders, sexual exploitation and more."

According to the lawsuit, youth "can spend an infinite amount of their time" on social media platforms and become trapped in "a bottomless pit."

A Meta spokesperson told Fox Business, "The complaint mischaracterizes our work using selective quotes and cherry-picked documents."

"We want teens to have safe, age-appropriate experiences online, and we have over 30 tools to support them and their parents. We've spent a decade working on these issues and hiring people who have dedicated their careers to keeping young people safe and supported online," the Meta spokesperson added.

Snap told the news outlet, "Snapchat was intentionally designed to be different from traditional social media, with a focus on helping Snapchatters communicate with their close friends."

"Snapchat opens directly to a camera – rather than a feed of content that encourages passive scrolling – and has no traditional public likes or comments. 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," the company said.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!