On April 15, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg successfully had some allegations dismissed in multiple lawsuits which claimed he hid the fact that Facebook and Instagram were detrimental to children. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, made the decision amid extensive legal actions taken by children who allege that Meta and other social media firms hooked them on their platforms.
Out of hundreds of cases, twenty-five aimed to hold Zuckerberg personally accountable, arguing that Meta’s billionaire founder misrepresented the safety of the platforms despite multiple warnings that they were inappropriate for children. The claimants maintained that Zuckerberg, being a prominent figure and a key spokesperson for all Meta-related matters, had a legal obligation to communicate openly and honestly about the dangers his company’s products posed to children.
However, Judge Rogers determined that the plaintiffs could not base their claims on Zuckerberg’s specific knowledge of Meta’s products to argue that he had a personal responsibility towards each claimant. Such a determination, she explained, would imply a disclosure obligation for any publicly recognized individual, which she rejected as an unprecedented method.
Meta, which continues to be a defendant in the case, has not commented and denies any wrongdoing.
There are still numerous lawsuits before Judge Rogers on behalf of individual children against Meta and other social media companies like Alphabet, which runs Google and YouTube; ByteDance, the operator of TikTok; and Snap, which manages Snapchat. These lawsuits allege that the use of social media caused the children to suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally, leading to issues such as anxiety, depression, and even suicide.
The ongoing litigation seeks both damages and cessation of practices deemed harmful by the plaintiffs. Several states and school districts have also initiated legal actions against Meta, which are still pending.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/legal/judge-dismisses-some-claims-against-metas-zuckerberg-over-social-media-harm-2024-04-16/