A federal judge has decided that Meta Platforms, Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg will not be personally liable in 25 legal complaints alleging that his social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram, have caused harm to children.
Ultimately, Judge Rogers dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims of fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation under state laws of various states. She also allowed the plaintiffs to amend their claims against Mr. Zuckerberg in the future, providing them with an opportunity to revise their allegations against the social media mogul.
âGiven the insufficient briefing, the Court cannot conclude that plaintiffsâ nascent theory of corporate officer liability is fatally flawed,â Judge Rogers wrote.
The federal judge said the plaintiffs in the 25 complaints could file one consolidated addendum revising their existing allegations and laying out any additional allegations they may assert against Mr. Zuckerberg in his role as Meta CEO.
While Mr. Zuckerberg is currently not personally liable in the MDL lawsuit, his company remains a defendant in the ongoing litigation.
In addition to naming Meta Platforms Inc. as a defendant, the plaintiffs also seek to hold Meta Payments Inc. and WhatsApp, owned by Meta, liable. The litigation extends to other apps not owned by Mr. Zuckerberg, including TikTok, its parent company ByteDance, Alphabet, Snap Inc., Discord, and Roblox.
The lawsuits allege that children have suffered harm from social media use, including anxiety, depression, and suicide. The complaints seek damages and a cessation of harmful practices by the defendant technology companies.
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