Meta suffered a major setback in the US court in a lawsuit over claims that Facebook and Instagram addict children.
According to Reuters, a federal judge rejected Mark Zuckerberg-owned Meta’s bid to dismiss a lawsuit accusing its social media app of addicting children.
29 US state attorneys have taken legal action against Meta and alleged that it has deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram in a way to hook kids and covered up the risks.
US federal judge rejects Meta’s request
US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, late on Monday, June 29, rejected Meta’s bid to dismiss the case that included claims of lying, unfair practices, and violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
The judge also noted that Meta broke the law by not warning parents and seeking their permissions.
In a 38-page decision, Rogers wrote, “The AGs present a reasonable interpretation of (Meta's) statements that Facebook and Instagram are not designed in ways that cause teens to compulsively use the platforms to their detriment.”
“To the extent plaintiffs' evidence shows that the platforms are in fact designed to do just that, a jury could reasonably find the statements were untrue to a reasonable person," she added.
Meta reacts to lawsuit
Facebook's and Instagram's parent company, Meta, has denied all of these allegations and aims to counter all the accusations with evidence.
Meta said in a statement, “We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people."
The states said research has shown that children's use of Facebook and Instagram could lead to depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life, and self-harm, including suicide.
Meta countered that the attorneys general had no evidence it misled consumers about its platforms' alleged addictiveness, including in congressional testimony by Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg.
Meta lawsuit with school district
Earlier this year Meta settled another major lawsuit with a school district in Kentucky over similar claims.
About 1,200 school districts from across the US came together to each sue Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube for allegedly fueling a mental health crisis in children.
TikTok, Snap, and YouTube settled their suits with Kentucky over the past couple of weeks, The Guardian reported.
However, the case was settled in May, three months before it was scheduled to go on trial in federal court in California.
A Meta spokesperson said at that time, “We’ve resolved this case amicably and remain focused on our longstanding work to build protections like Teen Accounts that help teens stay safe online, while giving parents simple controls to support their families.”
The lawsuit sought more than $60m to cover the costs of mental health needs for students in the district and to pay for a 15-year program to improve the issue.
Lawyers also sought a court order requiring the social media companies to change the way their platforms worked to have fewer addictive features.
In a separate lawsuit brought by New Mexico’s attorney general, a jury ordered Meta to pay $375m in civil penalties in March over claims that it misled consumers about the safety of its platforms and enabled harm, including child sexual exploitation, against its users.
