A U.S. judge rejects Meta’s bid to dismiss lawsuits brought by multiple states over claims that Facebook and Instagram harm children and fail to comply with children’s online privacy requirements. According to reporting, the judge rules that Meta did not meet the notice and parental consent obligations under the relevant federal children’s online privacy law. The court grants summary judgment to the states on that specific issue, meaning the states are allowed to proceed with their claims related to those legal requirements rather than having them thrown out at the early stage.
Meta argues it did not violate the children’s online privacy law. However, the judge’s decision indicates that the dispute will continue on the underlying allegations tied to how the platforms treat child users and whether required safeguards were followed. The outcome is a partial defeat for Meta, limited to the court’s finding on the compliance question addressed in the dismissal attempt.
