‘We Know It’s A Problem:' Oklahoma AG Drummond Sues Meta Over Social Media Impacts On Teens

Oklahoma’s Attorney General joins other states suing tech giant Meta which owns Facebook and Instagram. Gentner Drummond said he wants to protect children's wellbeing and privacy.  

The 108-page document argues Meta platforms prioritize profit over harm to children's mental health. Drummond said the company violated the Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act. The choices people make can have consequences. However, Drummond believes children are not at fault for the time they spend on social media. 

“We know it’s a problem,” Drummond said. “Meta knew full well that its platforms were designed to create addictive behavior in young people.” Drummond joins eight other state lawsuits against Meta. “Meta will be busy defending itself,” Drummond said. 

In Federal Court, 33 additional states filed lawsuits against Meta. “Incidents of young people having ideas of suicide dramatically of the last ten years,” Drummond said.  

OU Health Chief of Psychiatry Dr. Britta Ostermeyer said social media platforms like Instagram have a profound impact on teen girls. “Becoming anxious, depressed, doubting one’s self,” Ostermeyer said. “We see in particular with young adolescent females, body image concerns.” 

Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen testified before Congress in 2021 saying Meta could have made different choices with its platforms and had the knowledge to act.

While legal battles play out Ostermeyer said parents can do something now. “We need to strive for a balance,” Ostermeyer said. “We want to monitor and regulate their access and we want to have oversight.” 

While families control what they can, Drummond said the court will take care of what they can’t.  “We will get Oklahoma juries and Oklahoma justice,” Drummond said. 

Meta has up to 45 days to respond to this lawsuit. In a statement, Meta said, “We share the attorneys general’s commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families. 

“We’re disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use; the attorneys general have chosen this path.”