Meta and TikTok are once again facing legal challenges for allegedly failing to protect minors and limit their usage on their platforms. The Collective Defense Institute, a consumer rights group in Brazil, has filed two lawsuits against Meta, TikTok, and Kwai (another short video platform from China), seeking a total of three billion reais ($525.8 million).
The lawsuits cite numerous studies that highlight the risks associated with social media use. They demand that Meta and the other companies issue clear warnings about the potential negative impact of platform addiction on minors’ mental health. Additionally, the lawsuits call for the implementation of detailed data protection mechanisms.
“It is urgent that measures be adopted to change the way the algorithm works, the processing of data from users under 18, and the supervision and account creation process for teenagers aged 13 and over, to ensure a safer, healthier experience…as is already the case in developed countries,” said Lillian Salgado, a lawyer and one of the plaintiffs.
This is not the first time Meta or TikTok have faced lawsuits regarding the safety of minors. In late 2023, New Mexico sued Meta for not protecting children, alleging that both Facebook and Instagram suggested sexual content to minors. A month later, it was revealed that a 2021 internal memo from Meta found that over 100,000 child users faced daily harassment, yet Meta executives rejected recommended algorithm redesigns.
Earlier this month, 14 attorneys general sued TikTok for “falsely claiming its platform is safe for young people.” These are just a few of the many lawsuits filed against social media platforms for failing to protect young users.
Meta has recently introduced teen accounts on Instagram, which are mandatory for all users under 16. These accounts have stricter privacy settings and require parental approval for any changes. However, these accounts are not yet available in Brazil, though Meta claims they will be soon.
In a statement, Meta said it wants “young people to have safe and age-appropriate experiences on our apps, and we have been working on these issues for over a decade, developing more than 50 tools, resources, and features to support teens and their guardians.”
Notably, Brazil has also recently clashed with Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) for refusing to block profiles that the government claimed promoted election misinformation. The company eventually paid a 28 million reais ($4.9 million) fine.
