Mark Zuckerberg wins dismissal in lawsuits that sought to hold him personally liable for social media addiction

[midian182]

What just happened? Mark Zuckerberg's attempt to prove that he should not be held personally liable for the negative effects of social media on kids has proved successful. A judge dismissed several claims made against the Meta boss in dozens of lawsuits that accuse Meta and similar platforms of purposely designing their products in a way that makes them addictive to children.

Meta and other firms, including Google, TikTok, and Snap, are facing hundreds of lawsuits accusing the companies of being responsible for the harms they allegedly cause children. As reported by Reuters, 25 of these cases aim to hold Zuckerberg personally liable, claiming he gave a false impression about the platforms' safety for children. It's claimed that Zuckerberg was repeatedly warned that Facebook and Instagram were not safe for kids, but he ignored the findings and publicly stated the platforms were safe for younger people.

Corporate law traditionally shields executives from liability, particularly at massive companies like Meta where many people are involved in the decision-making process. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, sided with Zuckerberg, saying that the plaintiffs could not rely on his comparative knowledge about Meta's products to establish he personally had such a duty to each plaintiff.

"The court will not countenance such a novel approach here," she said, adding that those who sued Meta and Zuckerberg have the opportunity to amend and refile their complaints.

Zuckerberg previously argued that he can't be held personally responsible for actions at Meta just because he is the CEO. As for his previous public statements about social media being safe for children, his lawyers claim that they were generalized or covered by the First Amendment protection of free speech, and that Zuckerberg didn't have a duty to disclose the safety findings that were allegedly reported to him.

The lawsuits seek damages and a halt to the defendants' "harmful" practices.

In January last year, Seattle schools sued social media companies for causing a "mental health crisis" among children. Over 40 states did the same thing last October.

Last November, a study that used data from over 2 million people disputed claims that the internet, smartphones, and apps are detrimental to users' mental health. The researchers said they looked for a smoking gun linking tech with mental well-being but didn't find it.

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Mark Zuckerberg wins dismissal in lawsuits that sought to hold him personally liable for social media addiction

 

[Peter Farkas]

I am no fan of Mr. Zuckerberg, but holding him liable for *****s getting addicted to social media would have been outrageous. On the same principal, have we seen tobacco, coffe, alcohol or even gaming industry CEOs on trial with the same accusations? How can zuck be responsible for some people who can't control themselves while millions of others manage just fine? It's not Zuck, but the people... can't make others responsible for your own decisions. grow up.

 

[dirtyferret]

I am no fan of Mr. Zuckerberg, but holding him liable for *****s getting addicted to social media would have been outrageous. On the same principal, have we seen tobacco, coffe, alcohol or even gaming industry CEOs on trial with the same accusations? How can zuck be responsible for some people who can't control themselves while millions of others manage just fine? It's not Zuck, but the people... can't make others responsible for your own decisions. grow up.

While it's hard to prove an individual you can easily prove a corporation created addictive features in social media and targeted them at children.

 

[VitalyT]

Easy selling crack to kids, eh!

 

[poohbear]

I am no fan of Mr. Zuckerberg, but holding him liable for *****s getting addicted to social media would have been outrageous. On the same principal, have we seen tobacco, coffe, alcohol or even gaming industry CEOs on trial with the same accusations? How can zuck be responsible for some people who can't control themselves while millions of others manage just fine? It's not Zuck, but the people... can't make others responsible for your own decisions. grow up.

In the perfect world, it's the parents/guardians that really need to monitor children and teach them limits and boundaries. But we're not living in a perfect world. We know corporations spend billions analyzing the exact amount of time and space between each dopamine hit to the point that they perfected it. So there should be some regulation in terms of children. How about banning it for anyone under 18? We that for porn, gambling, and ofcourse drugs, so maybe some regulation needs to be in place for social media?

 

[Peter Farkas]

In the perfect world, it's the parents/guardians that really need to monitor children and teach them limits and boundaries. But we're not living in a perfect world. We know corporations spend billions analyzing the exact amount of time and space between each dopamine hit to the point that they perfected it. So there should be some regulation in terms of children. How about banning it for anyone under 18? We that for porn, gambling, and ofcourse drugs, so maybe some regulation needs to be in place for social media?

I get it for children but you said it first it’s the parents duty to prepare the kids for such things. Though, as a father I know it’s not as easy as it sounds.
Was this lawsuit solely about kids or addicted people in general? Including adults?

 

[Peter Farkas]

While it's hard to prove an individual you can easily prove a corporation created addictive features in social media and targeted them at children.

Where is the line in the sand between creating an addictive service or creating a service that people love using? I do not see it clearly. And why don’t they do it with other CEOs from other industries? Or have they?

 

[RudyBob]

He's not liable because people are so shallow

 

[daffy duck]

I am no fan of Mr. Zuckerberg, but holding him liable for *****s getting addicted to social media would have been outrageous. On the same principal, have we seen tobacco, coffe, alcohol or even gaming industry CEOs on trial with the same accusations? How can zuck be responsible for some people who can't control themselves while millions of others manage just fine? It's not Zuck, but the people... can't make others responsible for your own decisions. grow up.

yeah I'm amazed that argument doesn't work for drug dealers too.

 

[Bobbydpue]

While it's hard to prove an individual you can easily prove a corporation created addictive features in social media and targeted them at children.

Your statement still isn't accurate there is an algorithm they use that serves up content the platform thinks will keep people scrolling. Nothing more. If people can't control themselves that's on them.

 

[Jarenien]

Good. It is no one's fault but your own if you're that stupidly addicted to something that it literally interferes with your life.

 

[MyIOnU]

I don't like him, but that is just plain stupid !!! People need to start taking responsibility for their own actions !!!

 

[MyIOnU]

yeah I'm amazed that argument doesn't work for drug dealers too.

Because they are selling banned substances.

 

[Bobbydpue]

While it's hard to prove an individual you can easily prove a corporation created addictive features in social media and targeted them at children.

"I never gave you permission to qoute me

• • so don't do it or I will embarrass you further, end of conversation."

Don't have such a thin skin. It's a forum if you don't want to have someone contradict you don't post.

 

[Endymio]

yeah I'm amazed that argument doesn't work for drug dealers too.

It works for addictions like tobacco, alcohol, videogaming, and others. It doesn't work for the purveyors of illegal drugs because, by definition, those substances are illegal.