Federal Judge Rules Mark Zuckerberg Not Personally Liable in Lawsuits

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) – A federal judge ruled that Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg is not personally liable in 25 lawsuits alleging that the company has made children addicted to social media. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, dismissed claims on Thursday that Zuckerberg directed efforts to hide the serious mental health risks associated with using Facebook and Instagram from children. The plaintiffs described Zuckerberg as the "guiding spirit" behind alleged concealment efforts, claiming he disregarded internal warnings about these risks and publicly minimized them.

However, the judge stated that there was a lack of specific wrongdoing attributed to Zuckerberg, noting that "control of corporate activity alone is insufficient" to establish liability. Her ruling does not affect related lawsuits against Meta itself.

The plaintiffs have brought claims under the laws of 13 U.S. states: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Previn Warren, a partner at Motley Rice representing the plaintiffs, indicated that his clients will continue to gather evidence to reveal how Big Tech may have prioritized profits over children's safety.

These 25 lawsuits are part of hundreds filed by children, their families, and school districts seeking damages from Meta, Alphabet's Google, ByteDance's TikTok, and Snap's Snapchat over issues of social media addiction.

Multiple U.S. state attorneys general are also pursuing related cases against Meta, connecting its social media platforms to problems like anxiety, depression, insomnia, and disruptions in education and daily life.

The case is titled In re Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 22-md-03047.