Parents Group Sues Meta and TikTok in Milan Court Over Minors' Social Media Use

A parents' group appeared in a Milan court on Friday to pursue legal action against Meta and TikTok over the companies' handling of minors' use of their social media platforms. The group argues that the platforms expose children to harmful content and design features that can negatively affect mental health and development.

Court documents filed in the case cite internal company research and public studies linking prolonged social media use among minors to increased rates of anxiety, depression and sleep disruption.

Lawyers for the parents' group presented evidence that both platforms continued to serve algorithmically recommended content to users under 18 even after the companies publicly committed to stricter age-verification and time-limit tools. Meta and TikTok representatives told the court that the platforms already offer parental controls, age gates and content filters.

The companies said they remove millions of pieces of content each month that violate their community standards for underage users. Similar cases have been filed in other EU member states focusing on addictive design elements such as infinite scroll and push notifications.

The outcome could influence how technology companies implement age-appropriate design standards across the European Union.

Regulators in multiple countries are watching the case for precedent on liability for platform features that affect children's well-being.