The County of San Diego has filed a landmark lawsuit against Meta (Facebook & Instagram), Snap Inc. (Snapchat), ByteDance (TikTok), and Google (YouTube) for knowingly designing addictive platforms that harm young people’s mental health in order to maximize views and advertising profits. This lawsuit is a bold stand against the unchecked power of tech billionaires prioritizing profits over public well-being.

“The data is clear—social media is designed to be addictive, and it’s harming our kids,” said Acting Chair Terra Lawson-Remer. “Tech giants know exactly what they’re doing—exploiting young people for profit while refusing to take responsibility.”

The lawsuit, proposed by Lawson-Remer in July 2024, is part of a growing legal fight nationwide. San Diego is demanding real change—not just financial penalties, but court-ordered safeguards to stop social media companies from deliberately addicting vulnerable young people. This includes:

• Banning manipulative engagement features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithm-driven rabbit holes that exploit young users.

• Stronger age verification to keep underage children off harmful platforms.

• Increased transparency in content algorithms.

• Financial penalties for companies failing to implement these safeguards.

Similar measures have been enacted in Australia, and the European Union has proposed further regulations to curb these addictive digital designs.

San Diego Youth Are in a Mental Health Emergency

• Kids in Crisis: In 2023, Rady Children's Hospital reported a 30% increase in children experiencing mental health crises.

• Emergency Room Impacts: Young people in San Diego County are now twice as likely as any other age group to visit emergency rooms for anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts. Rady Children's Hospital reported a 500% surge in pediatric behavioral health ER visits between 2011 and 2015

• Suicidal thoughts and self-harm have skyrocketed since 2010 when social media became nearly universal among teens. Today, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Californians aged 15-24.

“We’re taking action to educate and inform students and families about the best ways to navigate the often unchecked harm social media has on the mental and physical well-being of our students,” said Richard Barerra, Vice President of the Board of Education, San Diego Unified School District. “I want to thank Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and the County of San Diego for their leadership in holding these tech companies accountable and taking legal action.”

“Students across the district are face to face with a national youth mental health crisis and social media is exacerbating it,” said Tara Djordevic, a member of San Diego Unified’s Student Wellness Education & Resources Committee (SWEAR). “I’ve seen my friends, who are otherwise very high achieving, goal chasing students, spiral into anxiety and depression because of the pressure that these platforms create. If students with no previous mental health concerns can be affected, we need to do all we can to tend to students with previous concerns and make sure they are getting the attention they need during this crisis.” 

Big Tech’s Business Model is Built on Addiction - Just Like Big Tobacco and Big Pharma

This isn’t just a crisis—it’s corporate malfeasance. Like Big Tobacco and opioid manufacturers before them, social media giants knew the harm and buried the evidence. Facebook’s own research—exposed by whistleblower Frances Haugen—revealed that Instagram worsened body image issues for 1 in 3 teenage girls, but executives chose engagement over safety.

San Diego’s legal action follows successful lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and cigarette companies, which forced industry giants to pay for the harm they caused. “Big Tobacco said nicotine wasn’t addictive. Big Pharma said opioids were safe. Now Big Tech tells us social media is harmless. We won’t fall for it, and we won’t let them get away with it,” said Lawson-Remer.

A Rigged System That Benefits Billionaires Like Zuckerberg and Musk

Tech billionaires have profited from chaos and division, using their platforms to manipulate public discourse while shielding themselves from consequences. Facebook’s internal documents, leaked by whistleblower Frances Haugen, confirm that the company’s algorithms prioritized divisive content to maximize engagement, even after executives recognized it was fueling social polarization and harming mental health. Despite knowing the risks, leadership refused to make necessary changes, choosing profit over public well-being.

With social media giants funneling billions into lobbying efforts to avoid oversight, local governments like San Diego are taking a stand. “While Trump and his allies work to consolidate power for ultra-rich tech moguls, San Diego is fighting back,” said Lawson-Remer. “We won’t stand by while social media companies exploit children’s mental health for profit, nor will we be silenced by corporate influence.”

Democrats in San Diego Are Leading the Fight to Hold Big Tech Accountable

As Trump and his allies strip away consumer protections, gut regulations, and consolidate power in the hands of billionaires, local leaders are stepping up.

“This is about standing up for kids, for parents, for our communities—not tech billionaires who think they are above the law,” Lawson-Remer said. “Democrats at every level are fighting back. 

The lawsuit seeks financial damages and demands that social media platforms fund mental health treatment for the harm they’ve caused, while implementing stronger protections for youth.

To read the full legal filing please click HERE