Justice Dept. sues Instagram, META to stop deceptive practices that harm minors

The Puerto Rico Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Thursday against Instagram LLC and META Platforms Inc., the companies that own the social media platforms Instagram and Facebook, to stop their abusive and deceptive practices, as well as their addictive technologies and dangerous content, that the suit says cause severe psychological damage and threaten the well-being and mental health of users on the island, especially minors.

The companies claim that they have adequate and sufficient controls in place to regulate their platforms and the content of their posts. However, a rigorous and extensive investigation led by the Department of Justice’s Office of Monopoly Affairs confirmed that this is false, according to the lawsuit, and, worse still, they design their platforms with full knowledge that they lead teenagers to experience high levels of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, the companies are aware that predatory adults contact minors through their platforms and have failed to warn parents and effectively counter this problem, according to the lawsuit.

In the case of Puerto Rico, the situation is worse, the lawsuit contends, since the companies’ regulation of Spanish-language content is minimal compared to the regulation of English-language content. The situation exposes children and young people on the island to a greater risk of having access to content that threatens their well-being and mental health. Therefore, the Justice Department is demanding, among other things, a change in the two companies’ business practices and restitution for damages they have caused.

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