Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Meta shelved an internal study linking the use of Facebook to effects on users' mental health, a brief filed in a California federal court indicates.
The filing, released Friday by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, is part of a multi-party lawsuit accusing social media networks such as Facebook, YouTube, SnapChat and TikTok of being aware of and hiding information that their platforms were harmful to the mental health of children and young adults. A group of school districts, parents and state attorneys general brought the lawsuit.
The newly unredacted filing details a 2019 study Meta did in conjunction with Neilsen on its social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. Called Project Mercury, Meta's study sought to "explore the impact that our apps have on polarization, news consumption, well-being and daily social interactions," said the filing.
A judge ordered the 5,807-page filing to be unsealed in an Oct. 30 order, Politico reported.
Related
