Meta's Zuckerberg not liable to 25 lawsuits
9/11/2024 6:18
A federal judge said Meta Platforms
CEO Mark Zuckerberg is not personally liable in 25
lawsuits accusing his company of addicting children to social
media.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland,
California rejected accusations on Thursday that Zuckerberg
directed Meta's efforts to conceal from children the serious
mental health risks of using Facebook and Instagram.
The plaintiffs called Meta's billionaire co-founder the
"guiding spirit" behind alleged concealment efforts, saying he
ignored repeated internal warnings about the risks and publicly
downplayed them.
But the judge found a lack of specifics about what
Zuckerberg did wrong, and said "control of corporate activity
alone is insufficient" to establish liability. Her decision does
not affect related claims against Meta itself.
The plaintiffs brought claims under the laws of 13 U.S.
states: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, New
York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas,
Virginia and Wisconsin.
Previn Warren, a partner at Motley Rice representing the
plaintiffs, said on Friday his clients will continue gathering
evidence "to uncover the truth about how Big Tech has knowingly
prioritized profits over the safety of our children."
The 25 lawsuits are among several hundred by children, their
families and school districts seeking damages from Meta,
Alphabet's Google, ByteDance's TikTok and Snap's
Snapchat over social media addiction.
Dozens of U.S. state attorneys general are pursuing similar
cases against Meta, linking its social media platforms to
anxiety, depression, insomnia, and interference with education
and daily life.
The case is In re Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal
Injury Products Liability Litigation, U.S. District Court,
Northern District of California, No. 22-md-03047.
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