Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced that she has filed a lawsuit against Meta and several of its subsidiaries, including Instagram and Facebook, alleging violations of Iowa consumer protection laws.
The Attorney General’s Office alleges that Instagram claimed it was safe for Iowa’s children and teens, but actually had explicit content available. The state also alleges that Meta designed Instagram to be addictive, especially among young Iowans, and that this addiction could harm Iowa children by seriously affecting their health.
In addition to Instagram’s addictive nature and design, Instagram tells consumers that it only contains “rare” or “mild” content related to drug use, sexual content or nudity, and other mature themes, leading Instagram to rate itself as 12+, 13+, or T for Teen (i.e., suitable for teens 17 and under). However, the lawsuit alleges that Instagram allows “sexual content and nudity, the use and mention of alcohol, tobacco and drugs, and mature/suggestive themes on the Instagram platform, including readily accessible explicit sexual content.”
Third-party investigations also found that the platform promoted or allowed child pornography, youth sextortion, and the open trade of opioids and other drugs.
The Attorney General’s lawsuit seeks a preliminary and permanent injunction forcing Instagram to change or entirely cease its deceptive and unfair statements regarding the frequency and severity of drug and alcohol content, sexual content, nudity, mature/suggestive themes, and profanity on the Instagram platform; inaccurate age ratings on the App Store and other online marketplaces; and its deceptive disclosure assurances in Instagram’s Community Guidelines and elsewhere.
The lawsuit was filed in Polk County District Court.
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