US States Sue Meta to Remove Addictive Features From Instagram and Facebook

A multi-state lawsuit against Meta went to trial this week. The states are asking the court to force Meta to remove certain addictive design features from Instagram and Facebook, including infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, disappearing content such as Stories, beauty filters, and algorithmically driven feeds. In March, Meta and YouTube were found negligent in a Los Angeles lawsuit. The plaintiff, a young woman, said she became addicted to the apps after using them since childhood, and that the platforms' designs caused her severe body dysmorphia, depression, and suicidal thoughts. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Meta is only the first, as state attorneys general are pursuing litigation over social media harms; lawsuits against YouTube and Snap are also pending. In other technology news, OpenAI launched a version of ChatGPT for teenagers, with stronger built-in safety protections. Alibaba's net profit fell 75% in the June quarter due to heavy spending on artificial intelligence. Amazon plans to offer drone delivery in nearly 500 US cities and towns by the end of the year. Additionally, Nvidia has offered to connect companies using its GPUs with Nordic data center operators to help customers find additional capacity.