A federal judge in Oakland, California rejects Meta’s bid to dismiss key parts of a lawsuit brought by attorneys general from 29 states alleging Facebook and Instagram were designed to be addictive to children. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rules that significant factual disputes must be resolved at trial, including questions about whether the platforms are designed to drive compulsive use and whether Meta made allegedly misleading statements about those design choices. The judge also addresses claims tied to federal children’s privacy rules for children under 13. Sources report that Meta did not comply with parental notice and consent requirements under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) for that age group, and the court grants summary judgment to the states on that issue.
The states cite research they say links children’s use of the platforms to mental health harms such as depression, anxiety, sleep problems, interference with education and daily life, and self-harm, including suicide. Meta argues the attorneys general have not shown it misled consumers, points to testimony by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and contends that “social media addiction” is not an established psychiatric condition. Meta also maintains it did not violate COPPA because it services a general audience rather than targeting children under 13. A trial related to some state claims is scheduled for August 18.
