A ruling by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, delivered a significant blow to plaintiffs pursuing lawsuits against Meta Platforms, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The judge dismissed some claims in a dozen lawsuits that accused Zuckerberg of concealing the harmful effects of Facebook and Instagram on children.

These lawsuits, part of a larger litigation by children alleging addiction to social media platforms, targeted Zuckerberg personally, claiming that his public stature and role as the face of Meta Platforms created a duty to disclose the risks associated with their products. However, Judge Rogers ruled that the plaintiffs could not hold Zuckerberg personally liable based on his comparative knowledge of Meta's products, as it would set a precedent for any public figure.

While Meta Platforms remains a defendant in the ongoing litigation, the company declined to comment on the ruling and maintains its denial of wrongdoing.

The lawsuits, filed on behalf of individual children, allege that social media use led to physical, mental, and emotional harm, including anxiety, depression, and suicide. Plaintiffs seek damages and an end to practices they deem harmful. Similar lawsuits have been filed against other social media companies, including Alphabet (Google and YouTube), ByteDance (TikTok), and Snap (Snapchat).

As the legal battle continues, the outcome of these lawsuits could have far-reaching implications for the regulation and accountability of social media platforms regarding their impact on users, particularly children.

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