This week, Facebook came under more fire for its treatment of young users when the city of Providence, Rhode Island, filed a lawsuit against the social media giant for “the surge in mental, emotional, and social issues among this population.”

This lawsuit accuses Facebook of being a “public nuisance” that is negligent in how it treats kids. Additionally, the city of Providence is demanding that Facebook pay for services to support these children who have been negatively affected by the company’s platforms.

“Plaintiff requires funding to develop a long-term plan to deal with the mental health crisis and address the record rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and the other tragic byproducts caused by Defendants,” the suit says. “Plaintiff also needs Defendants to be held responsible for their continued use of algorithms, social media features, and policies that target minors and that Defendants know are a driving force behind the current mental health crisis for minors in Plaintiff’s community and public school system, and for Defendants to cease targeting youths for profit.”

There’s no doubt that this is an audacious lawsuit, and more communities could use this as a blueprint moving forward. However, any suit that seeks to stop Facebook from profiting off its users will face an uphill battle. After all, our data is the backbone of the company’s entire business.

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