TL;DR:
- Brazil’s consumer rights group sues TikTok, Kwai, and Meta for $525 million over alleged failure to protect minors from excessive platform use.
- Lawsuits demand clear data protection mechanisms and warnings about mental health risks for children and teenagers using social media.
- Meta responds by highlighting existing safety measures and plans to introduce a new “Teen Account” feature on Instagram in Brazil.
- The case reflects growing global concerns about social media’s impact on young users and could set a precedent for platform accountability.
Brazil’s Collective Defense Institute has filed two lawsuits against major social media companies, seeking 3 billion reais ($525.27 million) in damages. The consumer rights group is targeting the Brazilian units of TikTok, Kwai, and Meta Platforms for allegedly failing to implement adequate measures to protect minors from excessive use of their platforms.
The lawsuits, filed in the state of Minas Gerais, demand that these tech giants create clear data protection mechanisms and issue warnings about the potential mental health risks associated with social media addiction among children and teenagers. This legal move comes amid growing concerns over the impact of social media on young users and follows a recent high-profile dispute between X owner Elon Musk and a Brazilian Supreme Court justice.
Lawyer Lillian Salgado, representing the plaintiffs, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “It is urgent that measures be adopted in order to change the way the algorithm works, the processing of data from users under 18, and the way in which teenagers aged 13 and over are supervised and their accounts created, in order to ensure a safer, healthier experience … as is already the case in developed countries.”
The legal action is supported by numerous studies highlighting the potential harm caused by unsupervised social media use, particularly among young users. The Collective Defense Institute argues that these companies have failed to establish sufficient safeguards to prevent the indiscriminate use of their platforms by minors.
In response to the lawsuit, Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, issued a statement affirming its commitment to providing safe and age-appropriate experiences for young users. The company claimed to have developed over 50 tools and resources to support teenagers and their guardians over the past decade. Meta also announced plans to introduce a new “Teen Account” feature on Instagram in Brazil, designed to automatically restrict the accounts visible to teenagers and limit who can contact them.
TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, stated that it had not yet received any notice regarding the case. Kwai, another short-form video platform, emphasized that user safety, especially for minors, is one of its top priorities.
This legal action in Brazil reflects a growing global trend of increased scrutiny on social media companies and their responsibility to protect young users. The outcome of these lawsuits could have significant implications for how social media platforms operate in Brazil and potentially influence similar actions in other countries.
As the case unfolds, it will likely spark further debate on the balance between technological innovation, user engagement, and the protection of vulnerable groups in the digital age. The Brazilian courts’ decision could set a precedent for how social media companies are held accountable for their impact on young users’ well-being.
