A U.S. federal judge ruled that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is not personally liable in over two dozen lawsuits accusing his company of causing social media addiction in children.
US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of California shared the decision in a 10-page court filing on Thursday. Plaintiffs said that Meta knew Instagram and Facebook posed health risks to its users, especially children.
The plaintiffs — which include parents and school districts — alleged that Meta did not disclose the risks associated with the social media platforms, concealed them through "misleading talking points," and prevented users from learning about them.
The plaintiffs also say Zuckerberg "directed, participated in, knew of, and in fact, served as the guiding spirit behind Meta's tortious concealment and omissions," according to the court filing.
However, the judge said last 7 November in a court filing that the plaintiffs had insufficient evidence that Zuckerberg personally directed the suppression of information about the dangers of social media.
"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," the filing said.
The court's ruling comes as world leaders crack down on some social media companies over claims that they are addictive to children and teens. In October, attorneys general from 14 different states filed lawsuits against TikTok, saying that the app is addictive and profits from damaging the mental health of children.
Legal experts previously told Business Insider that the sweeping lawsuits against TikTok mirror legal strategies used by the US government to crack down on the opioid and tobacco industries.
In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently announced plans to introduce a law banning children under 16 from having social media accounts. Meta's head of safety, Antigone Davis, told the Associated Press that the company would respect any age limitations the Australian
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