New York City Sues Global Tech Giants for Fuelling Youth Mental Health Crisis

New York City has filed a sweeping lawsuit against major social media companies -- including Facebook, Google, Snapchat and TikTok -- accusing them of driving a youth mental health crisis by deliberately addicting children to their platforms.

 

The 327-page complaint, lodged in the Manhattan federal court, seeks damages from Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram; Alphabet, which owns Google and YouTube; Snap, the parent company of Snapchat; and TikTok’s owner, ByteDance. The lawsuit accuses the companies of gross negligence and creating a public nuisance.

 

New York City joins a growing number of governments, school districts and individuals in approximately 2,050 similar lawsuits that have been consolidated in a federal court in Oakland, California. With a population of 8.48 million -- including around 1.8 million minors -- the city is among the largest plaintiffs. Its school and healthcare systems are also part of the suit.

 

A Google spokesperson, Jose Castaneda, rejected the claims, saying the allegations concerning YouTube were “simply not true”, noting that the platform functions as a streaming service rather than a social network for social interactions. The other defendants have not yet responded to requests for comment.

 

A spokesperson for New York City’s law department said the city withdrew from a separate case, announced by Mayor Eric Adams in February 2024 and pending in California state courts, in order to join the larger federal action.

 

Platforms Accused of Exploiting Children’s Psychology

According to the complaint, the companies designed their platforms to “exploit the psychology and neurophysiology of youth” and to encourage compulsive use for profit.

 

The filing cites data showing that 77.3 per cent of New York City high school students -- including 82.1 per cent of girls -- spend three or more hours daily on screens, including televisions, computers and smartphones. The city claims this excessive use has contributed to sleep deprivation and chronic school absences.

 

In January 2024, New York City’s health commissioner declared social media a public health hazard, with the city and its schools forced to allocate additional taxpayer funds to address the resulting mental health crisis among young people.

 

The complaint also links social media to a rise in dangerous “subway surfing” -- riding atop or alongside moving trains -- which has claimed at least 16 lives since 2023, including two girls aged 12 and 13 earlier this month, according to police data.

 

“Defendants should be held to account for the harms their conduct has inflicted,” the city stated. “As it stands, the plaintiffs are left to abate the nuisance and bear the cost.”