Overview

• Filed last week in Manhattan federal court, the 327-page complaint by New York City, its school district and health department alleges gross negligence and public nuisance driven by engagement-maximizing algorithms.
• City lawyers say the platforms have fueled depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm and suicidality, disrupting classrooms and imposing heavy costs on public services while contributing to sleep loss, absenteeism and risk-taking such as subway surfing.
• Google’s spokesperson argues the case misunderstands YouTube’s service and cites family safety tools, while Meta says it removes dangerous content, works with the MTA on subway-surfing concerns and will vigorously defend; Snap and ByteDance did not provide comment in the coverage.
• The lawsuit is part of roughly 2,050 related cases and is being coordinated through the Oakland multidistrict litigation, which targets product design rather than third-party content typically shielded by Section 230.
• States are moving ahead with tobacco-style warning label laws for social platforms—California just enacted one, New York passed one earlier this year and Minnesota began implementation in July—while Congress has yet to agree on comprehensive protections for minors online.