Among over 2,000 municipalities nationwide, the largest city in the US is taking legal action against major social media companies.
Published On 8 Oct 2025
New York City has initiated legal proceedings against prominent digital platforms including Facebook, Google, Snapchat, and TikTok, alleging that these companies have contributed to a growing mental health crisis among young people by fostering addictive social media habits.
The extensive 327-page lawsuit, submitted on Wednesday in a Manhattan federal court, targets Meta Platforms (owner of Facebook and Instagram), Alphabet (Google and YouTube), Snap Inc. (Snapchat), and ByteDance (TikTok). The city accuses these corporations of severe negligence and creating a public nuisance.
This action places New York City alongside thousands of other entities-over 2,000 governments, school districts, and individuals-engaged in similar nationwide litigation currently centralized in federal court in Oakland, California.
With a population of approximately 8.48 million residents, including nearly 1.8 million minors, New York City stands as one of the largest plaintiffs. The city’s educational and healthcare institutions are also named as co-plaintiffs in the suit.
Responding to the allegations, Google’s representative Jose Castaneda dismissed claims related to YouTube, emphasizing that the platform functions primarily as a video streaming service rather than a social networking site designed for interpersonal interaction.
Other defendants have yet to issue official statements regarding the lawsuit.
A spokesperson from New York City’s law department clarified that the city withdrew from a previous lawsuit initiated by Mayor Eric Adams in February 2024, which was pending in California state courts, in order to participate in the federal case.
The complaint asserts that these companies engineered their platforms to manipulate the psychological and neurological vulnerabilities of young users, encouraging compulsive engagement to maximize profits.
According to the filing, 77.3% of high school students in New York City reported spending three or more hours daily on screens-including televisions, computers, and smartphones-resulting in sleep deprivation and frequent absences from school.
In January 2024, the city’s health commissioner officially declared social media a public health threat. The complaint highlights the increased financial burden on public resources, as schools and healthcare providers have had to allocate additional funds to combat the escalating youth mental health challenges linked to social media use.
The lawsuit also connects social media to a rise in dangerous behaviors such as “subway surfing,” where individuals ride on the exterior of moving trains. Police records indicate at least 16 fatalities from this activity since 2023, including two young girls aged 12 and 13 in the current month.
“The defendants must be held responsible for the damage their actions have caused,” the city stated. “Currently, the burden of addressing these harms and covering the associated costs falls on the plaintiffs.”
