The city of New York has filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Alphabet, Snap and TikTok owner ByteDance, alleging the social media companies have contributed to the youth mental health crisis, The Wall Street Journal reported Feb. 14.
The lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County, alleges the companies designed their social media platforms with the intention of getting child and teen consumers addicted to their use.
The suit was brought by the cityDepartment of Health and Mental Hygiene, the city Department of Education and NYC Health + Hospitals. Mayor Eric Adams' office, meanwhile, said the city spends more than $100 million annually on programs and services focused on youth mental health needs.
In the lawsuit, the city is asking for funding to support prevention education and mental health treatment. It also seeks an order that would require the social media companies named in the lawsuit to change their practices, the report said.