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Attorney General defends lawsuits against TikTok, Meta and Discord as response to youth mental‑health crisis
Summary
The AG told the Judiciary Committee New Jersey initiated and joined lawsuits against major social‑media platforms, saying evidence shows companies knew of harms to children and prioritized profits; litigation aims for injunctive conduct changes and compensatory relief.
During questioning about the office's priorities, the Attorney General detailed the state's litigation strategy targeting social‑media companies, characterizing that work as a public‑health response to a youth mental‑health crisis.
The Attorney General said New Jersey has led litigation against TikTok and Meta and was the first state to file suit against Discord, alleging those platforms caused or contributed to harms among children and teens. He compared the legal strategy to prior state‑led public‑health lawsuits such as tobacco and opioid litigation and said the complaints seek both monetary relief and injunctive remedies to change corporate conduct.
"We led national lawsuits against TikTok and Meta," the Attorney General said. "We were the first state in the country to sue Discord for the harms that they're causing to a generation of young children." He added the department has unsealed evidence in complaints it believes show company leadership knew of harms and chose profits over safety.
Lawmakers asked whether statutory or regulatory change at the state level could complement litigation; the AG welcomed legislative collaboration and noted recent state privacy legislation he said will strengthen protections. He also linked the litigation to other departmental tools — consumer‑fraud enforcement and civil remedies — and suggested enhanced penalties or statutory updates could increase enforcement leverage.
Committee members emphasized urgency because of rising youth mental‑health indicators and sought timelines; the AG said litigation is ongoing and that he hopes for changes in company practices as cases progress.
