Judge lets state lawsuit over Meta’s child addiction claims proceed

A federal judge in Oakland kept a 29-state lawsuit against Meta Platforms alive, rejecting the company’s bid to end claims that Facebook and Instagram were designed to addict children and that Meta hid the harm. The ruling puts the case on a path toward discovery, where internal documents, product decisions and communications could be scrutinized as states press claims over design choices alleged to damage minors.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said the states had raised enough factual disputes to move forward on deception, unfair-practices and federal children’s privacy claims, including allegations under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. She also granted summary judgment to the states on one privacy issue involving notice and parental-consent requirements.

The states allege Meta knew its products could contribute to depression, anxiety, insomnia and interference with education and daily life, and in the most serious cases self-harm or suicide. Meta argued that addiction is not an established psychiatric condition and that Facebook and Instagram were built for a general audience, not in violation of the child privacy law. Gonzalez Rogers found enough dispute over those claims that a jury or further proceedings may need to sort them out.

The case comes amid a broader national fight over social media and youth mental health. In October 2023, New York Attorney General Letitia James said 32 attorneys general joined a federal lawsuit against Meta. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said California co-led a bipartisan coalition of 33 attorneys general. Colorado’s attorney general later said the nationwide action involved 42 attorneys general across federal and state court cases.

Gonzalez Rogers is also overseeing the related social-media multidistrict litigation in the Northern District of California, the docket titled In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, filed on October 6, 2022. That docket has grown to more than 2,600 cases involving people, school districts and local governments, and earlier case-management decisions selected bellwether trials from school district and family claims.