Social Media Exploitation Lawsuit [2024 Update]

The Prevalence of Social Media Use Among Young Audiences

Social media has become a significant part of daily life for many individuals, especially teens and young adults.

According to the New York Times, there was a 17% increase in social media use among children from 2019 to 2022.

As stated by NYT, the average screen time of children aged 8 to 12 reached four hours and 44 minutes.

Teenagers aged 13 to 18 consume around eight hours and 39 minutes of daily screen time on average.

According to several experts, this influx in social media use reflects parents’ difficulties in controlling screen time, especially during the pandemic, where virtual communication became a primary mode of connecting with others.

As a result, many young individuals risk falling prey to harmful and dangerous content or interactions on social media.

Social Media Users Facts and Statistics

According to Kepios, a digital advisory firm, there are over 5.04 billion active social media users worldwide in January 2024.

This number represents more than half (62.3%) of the global population.

The organization estimates an average of 8.4 new users every second.

In a list published by Hootsuite, the Asia-Pacific region produced the most number of active social media users worldwide at 59.9%.

The same region also produced the most growth of active social media users (2.7%) from 2022 to 2023.

As we look closer into these numbers, it’s evident that most social media users belong to the younger generation, specifically teenagers and young adults.

In the United States, over 40% of children aged 8 to 12 are active on various social media platforms.

Excessive social media usage among this select demographic has been a growing problem for many parents and health professionals.

There are countless claims from experts and parents about the declining mental and emotional health of children due to social media addiction.

According to a study published by The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, unhealthy social media habits are detrimental to a child’s brain development.

At ages 10 to 19, their brains are still developing, and that is when they are most at risk for addiction.

Unhealthy social media habits may result in a child experiencing difficulty focusing, lack of sleep, and even depression.

Mental Health and Social Media Use

As explained above, excessive social media consumption at an early age results in various mental health issues, such as low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.

Experts believe the problem lies with the influx of social media use in recent years.

According to the Pew Research Center, over 46% of parents with teenagers are worried about the exposure of their children to harmful content and interactions on social media.

This number correlates with a separate study from the journal for the International Review of Psychiatry, where researchers documented a significant increase in adolescent depression with increased social media use.

Various social networking sites are known to exacerbate mental health issues among young individuals.

Instagram, for example, has been called out for contributing to body image issues among its users.

This social media platform has been linked to body dysmorphic disorder, where individuals have an obsession with their physical appearance.

Another vital social media platform in this regard is YouTube.

YouTube has been linked to anxiety and depression among its users.

Alphabet Inc. (YouTube’s parent company) has also faced backlash for allowing harmful content targeted towards children on its platform.

Sexual Exploitation on Social Media

Making a social media account has never been easier.

Anyone can create an account and interact with others online with just a few clicks.

However, this accessibility has also opened the doors for sexual predators to exploit young individuals.

What’s even more troubling is the fact that anyone can be anyone online.

Many sexual predators pose as teenagers or young adults to lure their victims into online conversations.

With the rise of social media use among teens and young adults, the prevalence of sexual exploitation on these platforms has increased proportionally.

Certain platforms’ features, such as direct messaging and photo sharing, can be manipulated by these predators to groom and exploit their victims.

Alarmingly, the anonymity offered by the internet can embolden offenders, making it challenging for law enforcement to track and prosecute them.

The vast and complex nature of social media networks often allows such activities to go unnoticed until it’s too late.

Educating young users about the dangers lurking on these platforms and encouraging them to practice online safety is crucial in combating sexual exploitation.

The Increasing Number of Inappropriate Content Online

Inappropriate content can take numerous forms.

From disturbing graphic materials and content containing heavy profanities to obscene materials and hate speeches, the internet is filled with harmful content, all available in just a few clicks.

These troubling pieces of content sprawling the internet have been associated with poor mental health and declining adolescent health.

A report from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) shows that more than half (56%) of 11 to 16-year-olds have seen explicit content online.

The organization Ofcom also shared the same findings with their research — according to their study, 94% of children aged 8 to 11 and 12 to 15 have seen inappropriate content online and would tell an adult about it.

Unsupervised access to social media sites and unrestricted internet use has allowed children to stumble upon explicit content, leaving them vulnerable to harmful effects.

It’s more important now than ever for parents and adults to proactively monitor their child’s online activities.

Most social media sites have parental restrictions or content filters to protect children from viewing inappropriate content.

However, these settings alone aren’t enough.

It’s still essential for parents to educate their children about internet safety and responsible usage.

Cases of Sexual Exploitation Online

News of online sex crimes across various social media sites has hit the headlines for the past few years.

According to a recent news article from NBC News, the U.S. Homeland Security identified 311 underaged victims of cold cases.

The U.S. Homeland Security spearheaded a thorough and meticulous operation along with twelve international partners to identify and locate online child predators.

Operation Renewed Hope ran for three weeks, combing through numerous social media platforms, the dark web, and various digital platforms where this crime could transpire.

In the majority of explicit content examined, Homeland Security determined that most of this content had been circulating the internet for many years.

Previous investigators of the case failed to identify the victim and the abuser in the content properly.

With modern facial recognition and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, authorities were able to identify the victims and their abusers.

With new leads and locations, U.S. Homeland Security is taking the necessary steps to bring justice and legal closure to these victims.

Lawsuits Against Giant Social Media Companies

If you’ve been avidly watching or reading news in the past few months, you’d know that the legal battle numerous social media execs face is no longer just about fake news and data privacy.

Social media companies have also been subject to several lawsuits involving minors who fell victim to online sexual exploitation.

All major social media companies, namely Meta (Facebook and Instagram), ByteDance (TikTok), X Corp. (X or formerly Twitter), Discord Inc. (Discord), Google (YouTube), and Snap (Snapchat), have been facing mass amounts of legal complaints involving mental health disorders, addiction, and child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Some of the lawsuits claim that these platforms did not do enough to prevent or remove explicit content featuring minors on their sites.

A critical and trending topic in this regard is the lawsuit most of the mentioned companies recently faced.

Mark Zuckerberg (Meta CEO), Linda Yaccarino (X Corp. CEO), Evan Spiegel (Snap CEO), Shou Zi Chew (TikTok CEO), and Jason Citron (Discord CEO) appeared in an intense D.C. hearing in January 2024.

The senate hearing was about the recent increase in online sexual exploitation, particularly on these social media sites.

Lawmakers and parents of underaged victims claim that these social media sites’ lenient policies on inappropriate content have allowed predators to exploit children online.

Senators are tirelessly working towards stricter laws to protect minors from becoming victims of this crime.

So far, a few social media companies have agreed to revise their policies and implement more stringent safety measures for minors on their platforms.

The Legal Framework of Lawsuits Against Social Networking Sites

Social Media Harm Lawsuits allege that the engineering and design behind social media platforms are negligent.

From lenient content moderation policies to aggressive algorithms that recommend harmful or explicit content, these social media companies are claimed to play a role in the exacerbation of mental health disorders and creating an environment where predators can freely prey on minors.

Central to these legal actions is the Social Media Addiction MDL, which consolidates various claims against these companies, highlighting their alleged complicity in facilitating environments conducive to exploitation and addiction.

Plaintiffs argue that these platforms have failed to adequately protect users, especially minors, from the dangers inherent in their design and operation.

The lawsuits further claim that by prioritizing engagement over safety, these companies have breached their duty of care to their users.

This emerging legal framework seeks to hold social media giants accountable for the psychological and physical harm users may suffer, proposing a need for a reevaluation of social media’s role and responsibilities in modern society.

Flawed Design Element

The first argument parents and lawmakers use is that the design of these social media platforms enables minors to access inappropriate content easily.

It’s claimed that these sites are designed with features such as autoplay or endless scrolling, which can lead users down a dangerous rabbit hole of harmful content.

Other dangerous design defects lawmakers are looking at are how these platforms verify the user’s age, ineffective parental control features, barriers to account deletion, and inefficient time limits.

The ease of account creation and anonymity on these platforms allows predators to create fake accounts and interact with minors without being traced easily.

Several social media companies like Meta were accused of knowingly designing their platforms to prioritize user engagement over safeguarding minors from harmful content.

Negligent Algorithm Engineering

Another primary argument used in lawsuits against social media companies is the role their algorithms play in exposing minors to harmful or explicit content.

Social media platforms use algorithms to recommend posts and accounts that may interest users based on their previous activity.

However, these algorithms are designed to maximize user engagement, leading them to prioritize sensational or triggering content over age-appropriate or safe content.

Algorithms have been accused of causing harm to minors by exposing them to harmful and explicit content, resulting in excessive social media use and declining psychological well-being.

In some cases, a user would follow an innocent account or subscribe to a safe niche topic, but the algorithm would recommend more explicit or harmful content related to that topic.

This “rabbit hole” effect leads users to increasingly disturbing and dangerous material, ultimately exposing minors to CSAM.

Making the Digital World Safer for Children

Social media sites are relatively new in the digital world.

We may have come far regarding safety and innovation, but there’s still so much room for improvement.

The lawsuits against social media companies are just the beginning of a long journey toward making the digital world safer for minors.

Filing a lawsuit for these deceptive and exploitative practices by major social media companies could help raise awareness and start a conversation about child safety online.

Lawsuits can also serve as wake-up calls for social media companies to take their responsibility more seriously and proactively work towards protecting minors on their platforms.

How an Experienced CSAM Lawyer Can Help

There are numerous ways an experienced CSAM lawyer can help in the fight toward making the digital world safer for minors.

CSAM lawyers are well-versed in the complex legal framework of these lawsuits and can provide valuable guidance and support for parents seeking justice against social media companies.

Lawyers can help you gather the evidence needed to strengthen your case, navigate through the legal process, and hold social media companies accountable for their role in exposing minors to harmful or explicit content.

Attorneys may also be able to help you enter the established multidistrict litigation (MDL) for social media lawsuits, which provides a more effective and efficient legal framework for cases that have similar attributes.

TorHoerman Law: Protect Your Children’s Safety Online

Social media platforms present a myriad of dangers for children, including exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and the risk of contact with online predators, all of which can have long-lasting effects on their mental and physical well-being.

In response, numerous lawsuits have been filed against social media companies, accusing them of failing to protect young users from these harms and alleging that their platform designs contribute to addiction and exploitation.

It’s imperative that these companies are held accountable for their role in endangering children, as they have a moral and legal responsibility to ensure their platforms are safe spaces for all users, especially the most vulnerable.

TorHoerman Law has a team of experienced and dedicated lawyers committed to protecting children’s rights online.

Contact us for a free consultation.

You can also use the confidential chatbot on this page to find out if you qualify for the Social Media Lawsuit instantly.