New York City is suing a handful of social media networks, alleging their platforms’ designs exploit young users’ mental health and cost the city $100 million in related health programs and services each year.
In the lawsuit against TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube, the city of New York said the platforms are responsible for an uptick in mental health issues among young people, including depression and suicide ideation. These issues, the lawsuit states, impose a “large burden on cities, school districts and public hospital systems that provide mental health services to youth.”
The lawsuit comes shortly after executives from social media platforms faced tough questions from lawmakers during the latest congressional hearings over how their platforms may direct younger users – and particularly teenage girls – to harmful content, damaging their mental health and body image.
A growing number of families have sued social media companies, along with US states and municipalities, over the alleged impact on the mental health of their children. But during a press conference on Wednesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said: “NYC is first major American city to take combined steps of this magnitude and call out the danger of social media clearly and directly just as the surgeon general did with tobacco and guns.”
New York City said it is seeking monetary damages and equitable relief to fund prevention education and mental health treatment.
The city also released a social media action plan that highlights how it plans to hold social media companies accountable, provide education and support to young people and families, and study the long-term impacts of social media on youth.
A Snap spokesperson told CNN the platform was “intentionally designed to be different from traditional social media” with a focus on helping users communicate with close friends and by opening up directly to the camera rather than a feed of content.
