In a notable legal development, a federal judge in California ruled that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will not be held personally responsible in over two dozen lawsuits claiming that Meta’s platforms, Instagram and Facebook, contributed to social media addiction among children. The plaintiffs, which include school districts and families, argue that Meta downplayed the mental health risks associated with its platforms, particularly for young users.
US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued the decision on Thursday, stating in a detailed 10-page filing that the plaintiffs lacked sufficient evidence to prove that Zuckerberg directly suppressed information about potential harms linked to his company’s products. The plaintiffs had claimed that Zuckerberg “directed, participated in, knew of, and in fact, served as the guiding spirit behind Meta’s tortious concealment and omissions.”
“While possible that discovery may reveal a more active participation and direction by Zuckerberg in Meta’s alleged fraudulent concealment, the allegations before the Court are insufficient to meet the standard for corporate-officer liability in the thirteen at-issue jurisdictions,” wrote Judge Gonzalez Rogers.
This ruling comes as lawmakers around the world target social media companies with regulations over the alleged mental health impacts of their platforms on children. Recently, attorneys general from 14 US states filed a separate lawsuit against TikTok, claiming it profits from what they call addictive, harmful impacts on youth mental health. Legal experts have likened these cases to past lawsuits against the tobacco and opioid industries.
In a related move, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced this week that Australia is drafting legislation to bar children under 16 from creating social media accounts. Antigone Davis, Meta’s head of safety, stated that the company would follow any age restrictions implemented by the Australian government.
The cases involve dozens of plaintiffs and also name companies like Snap, ByteDance, and Google as defendants. An amended complaint filed in December 2023 claimed that users of these platforms suffered “personal injuries” and outlined a broad array of harms attributed to social media addiction, including emotional distress, aggravation of preexisting conditions, and economic losses related to healthcare costs and lost income.