More than 30 states filed a federal lawsuit against Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, alleging the platforms’ apps are designed to be addictive and harm children’s mental health. The lawsuits claim Meta violated both federal children’s online privacy law and state consumer protection laws by making its products addictive and then lying about how they harm children’s mental health. The lawsuits argue Meta deceived the public about the safety of children on its apps and that it failed to obtain parental consent as required by COPPA before collecting data from users under 13. If successful, the lawsuits could force Meta to change the way it designs and markets its platforms to the public and lead to hefty fines. The strategy has drawn comparisons to lawsuits filed against the tobacco industry in the 1990s.