Judge Denies Meta's Motion to Dismiss States' Lawsuit Over Child Addiction Claims
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied Meta's motion to dismiss a lawsuit by 29 state attorneys general alleging the company designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children and concealed associated harms. The judge ruled Meta violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and identified material factual disputes that require resolution, allowing the case to proceed.
What happened
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied Meta's motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by 29 state attorneys general alleging Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children and concealed the resulting harm.
The judge ruled that Meta did not comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act's requirements for notice and parental consent, granting summary judgment to the states on that issue. The judge identified material factual disputes regarding whether the platforms are addictive, whether Meta falsely denied designing them that way, and whether Meta partially targeted the platforms at children.
Reported impact
The states contend that research has shown children's use of Facebook and Instagram could lead to depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life, and self-harm including suicide.
Index analysis
Judge Gonzalez Rogers also oversees related multidistrict litigation by more than 2,600 individuals, school districts and local governments over whether social media platforms addict children.
Governance controls
Meta argued that social media addiction is not an established psychiatric condition and therefore statements that its platforms are not addictive could not be false. Meta also asserted it did not violate the children's online privacy law because its platforms were directed at a general audience, not specifically at children under age 13.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.