A federal judge ruled that Meta Platform CEO Mark Zuckerberg is not personally liable. 25 lawsuits accusing his company of getting kids addicted to social media,
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, on Thursday dismissed charges that Zuckerberg directed Meta’s efforts to hide the serious mental health risks of Facebook and Instagram use from children.
The plaintiffs called Meta’s billionaire co-founder the “guiding spirit” behind the alleged cover-up efforts, saying he ignored repeated internal warnings about the risks and publicly downplayed them.
But the judge found Zuckerberg lacked specific details about what he did wrong, and said “control over corporate activity alone is insufficient” to establish liability. Its decision does not affect related claims against Meta.
The plaintiffs brought claims under the laws of 13 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 Friday that his clients will “continue to gather evidence to expose the truth about how Big Tech has knowingly prioritized profits over the safety of our children.”
The 25 lawsuits are among hundreds of lawsuits filed by children, their families and school districts seeking damages from Meta, Alphabet’s Google, ByteDance’s TikTok and Snap’s Snapchat. social media addiction,
Dozens of 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.
