Meta, the parent company of Facebook, must face lawsuits filed by U.S. states over claims of social media addiction among teens. A California federal judge denied Meta's efforts to dismiss the cases, which concern over 30 states and separately, Florida. The court proceedings focus on claims that Meta's algorithms harm adolescents' mental health, while the involved states request legal injunctions and damages.
A federal judge in California has ruled that Meta,
Facebook's parent company, must face lawsuits filed by U.S. states accusing it of contributing to social media addiction among teenagers.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected Meta's attempts to dismiss the cases, which were filed by over 30 states in one lawsuit and Florida separately in another.
Meta argued that federal law should block these claims and that the states had not identified specific misleading statements it made.
However, while Judge Rogers limited some claims, she allowed the majority to proceed.
This case adds to the numerous lawsuits against Meta, TikTok, and YouTube, alleging that their algorithms cause anxiety and depression in adolescents.
The states are seeking injunctions and damages for Meta's business practices.