Florida seeks injunction against Meta over minor addiction

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has requested a temporary injunction against Meta to disable platform features that allegedly cause addiction among minors. The state argues these tools contribute to anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

The legal filing seeks the immediate deactivation of several features for minor accounts, including infinite scroll, autoplay videos, and nighttime notifications sent between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM. Additionally, the state is calling for the restriction or removal of facial and body alteration filters to combat body dysmorphia, as well as the implementation of an effective age verification system to eliminate accounts for children under 13.

This action follows a previous settlement where Meta agreed to pay up to $16.68 billion to resolve lawsuits from various U.S. states regarding social media addiction. Uthmeier alleged that Meta misled parents regarding the safety of Instagram and Facebook, citing research that indicated the presence of predators in direct messages and the promotion of mental health issues.