Why is New York City suing Meta, Google & TikTok? Complete controversy explained

New York City has launched a major legal action against some of the world’s biggest technology companies, accusing them of contributing to a mental health crisis among young people. The lawsuit, filed in a Manhattan federal court, names Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram), Google (which owns YouTube), Snap (the owner of Snapchat), and TikTok’s parent company Bytedance. It alleges that the design and operation of their platforms have caused widespread psychological harm to children and teenagers across the city.

NYC sues Facebook, Google, TikTok claiming social media is addicting kids, harming mental health https://t.co/nYoKF8sgOs pic.twitter.com/JZMAMntWyM

— New York Post (@nypost) October 8, 2025

The 327-page complaint asserts that these companies had made their websites addictive. They are based on algorithms that exploit the vulnerabilities of young users to capitalize on them to generate more engagement and profits.

According to the city officials, such manipulation has given rise to problems among teenagers, including anxiety, depression, skipping school, and lack of sleep, among others. The suit puts into focus the statistics that show that more than three out of four high school students in New York City spend over three hours a day on social media.

According to authorities, this amount of screen time has formed a considerable health issue for the large population, causing alarming behavioral and academic shifts.The complaint also brings up recent findings shared by the New York City Police Department.

According to these reports, at least 16 teenagers have lost their lives since 2023 in incidents tied to dangerous social media trends like "subway surfing," which spreads through viral online videos. A Google spokesperson, José Castañeda, told Business Insider that the lawsuit gives a wrong picture of how YouTube works.

“These lawsuits fundamentally misunderstand how YouTube works and the allegations are simply not true,” Castañeda said. “YouTube is a streaming service where people come to watch everything from live sports, to podcasts to their favorite creators, primarily on TV screens, not a social network where people go to catch up with friends.”

New York City has filed a lawsuit joining over 2,000 similar cases brought by states, towns, and school districts across the country. This large-scale legal effort based out of Oakland, California, aims to hold social media companies accountable for their alleged impact on youth mental health. With 8.48 million residents and 1.8 million of them under 18, New York City is one of the biggest players in this lawsuit.

The lawsuit points out how local governments and public programs have been left to handle the consequences. It argues that the companies accused should cover the costs of addressing the mental and physical health issues affecting young people and the pressure placed on schools and health services.

People across the country are likely to follow the lawsuit. Governments keep looking into how social media affects young people's actions and health.