Key facts
- A federal judge denied Meta's motion to dismiss claims that Facebook and Instagram are designed to addict children.
- The judge granted summary judgment to states on Meta's non-compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
- A New Mexico jury found Meta liable for concealing risks of child sexual exploitation and mental health harms, awarding $375 million.
- A Los Angeles jury found Instagram's design to be addictive, awarding $3 million in damages and $3 million in punitive damages against Meta.
A federal judge has rejected Meta Platforms' attempt to dismiss lawsuits alleging that its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, are designed to addict children and that the company knowingly concealed the associated harms. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied Meta's motion to dismiss claims of deception, unfairness, and violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
The judge also ruled that Meta did not comply with COPPA's notice and parental consent requirements, granting summary judgment to the states on this issue. Meta has not yet responded to a request for comment.
This ruling follows a significant loss for Meta in a New Mexico state court, where a jury found the company liable for concealing information about child sexual exploitation and the harmful effects of its platforms on children's mental health. The jury awarded $375 million in civil damages, with the state's Attorney General Raúl Torrez celebrating it as a "historic victory" and stating that Meta prioritized profits over children's safety.
Separately, in a Los Angeles trial, a jury found Meta and Google responsible for the addictive design of their platforms, Instagram and YouTube, respectively. The jury awarded $3 million in damages to the plaintiff, KGM, with Meta deemed 70% responsible, and an additional $3 million in punitive damages against Meta. The plaintiff alleged that design features like "infinite scroll" contributed to her anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, and suicidal ideation, arguing that Meta borrowed techniques from the gambling and tobacco industries to maximize youth engagement and advertising revenue. Internal Meta communications reportedly compared the platform's effects to pushing drugs and gambling, which the jury found supported liability.