Florida - Tuesday October 24, 2025: Attorney General Ashley Moody today filed suit against Meta, formerly known as Facebook, alleging that the company knowingly designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and its other social media platforms that purposefully addict children and teens.
At the same time, the lawsuit alleges, Meta falsely assured the public that these features are safe and suitable for young users.
The suit claims that Meta's business practices violate Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. These practices continue to harm the physical and mental health of children and teens, fueling what the U.S. Surgeon General has deemed a “youth mental health crisis.”
To view Florida’s civil action, click here.
“Meta has gone unchecked for too long, and our children are suffering the consequences of these unlawful practices," said Moody in a news release. "Today, I took action to stop Meta from targeting minors with addictive features to keep them online for hours, collecting their data and other unlawful actions that harm teens’ mental health.”
The complaint alleges that Meta knew of the harmful effects of Facebook and Instagram, but instead of taking meaningful steps to mitigate the harms, Meta misled the public, and concealed the extent of the psychological harms suffered by young users addicted to these platforms. The complaint further alleges that Meta knew that young users, including those under 13, were active on the platforms, and knowingly collected data from these users without parental consent.
Meta knew these addictive features harmed young people’s mental health, including undermining their ability to get adequate sleep, but did not disclose the harm nor did they make meaningful changes to minimize the harm. Instead, Meta claimed the platforms are safe for young users.
The federal complaint seeks injunctive and monetary relief to rectify the harm caused by Meta's platforms.