(Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A federal judge in California has rejected Meta's request to dismiss lawsuits alleging the company created features that get teens addicted to Facebook and Instagram.
In two separate lawsuits filed last year, one by the state of Florida and the other by a coalition of 33 attorney generals, Meta was charged with deploying features that hook minors "to their mental and physical detriment." On Tuesday, Oakland-based US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected Meta's motion to dismiss the cases, so the states can now gather further evidence and potentially proceed toward trial, the report adds.
Judge Rogers said that while Section 230—which provides immunity to online platforms from civil liability based on third-party content—partially shielded Meta in the cases, the states had provided enough about Meta's misleading statements to proceed with their case.
"This litigation will help determine how social media companies can be held accountable and how these companies can treat our children for decades to come," said Attorney General Bonta, who led the coalition of attorney generals who filed the case. Bonta added: "Meta can and must do better. Our children deserve their childhoods back."
A Meta representative told Reuters that it disagreed with the ruling and had developed tools to help teens manage their screen time and stay safe, including the new "Teen Accounts" on Instagram.
According to the lawsuit filed by the coalition, Meta has violated federal and state laws, including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), California's False Advertising Law (FAL), and California's Unfair Competition Law (UCL). The states seek action against Meta's alleged unfair business practices and imposition of civil penalties.