Zuckerberg like Teflon? A lawsuit over children’s addiction is out of the question
A federal judge has ruled that Mark Zuckerberg, the head of Meta Platforms, is not personally liable in 25 lawsuits accusing his company of addicting children to social media, Reuters reports.
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Zuckerberg will avoid responsibility for the harmful effects of social media on children
On Thursday, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, rejected allegations that Zuckerberg directed Meta’s efforts to hiding from children the serious mental health risks associated with using Facebook and Instagram.
The plaintiffs described the Meta co-founder as a spiritual guide who allegedly concealed information about the risks associated with children’s use of social media. He was supposed to be aware of them and publicly downplay them.
Judge: Give me some specifics
The judge said briefly – none there is no specifics as to what Zuckerberg did wrongand she said that Mere control over the corporation’s activities is insufficient to determine liability.
The 25 lawsuits are among several hundred filed by children, their families and school districts seeking damages from Meta, Alphabet (Google’s parent company) and Snap, the owner of Snapchat. These lawsuits accuse companies or their owners of deliberately designing their products in an addictive waywhich leads to mental health problems such as depression, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts.
It is worth adding that while Mark Zuckerberg himself was cleared of the charges, the decision does not affect related claims against Meta itself.
