Court Finds Mark Zuckerberg Not Liable in Children Social Media Addiction Lawsuits

A federal judge has ruled that Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg is not personally liable in 25 lawsuits accusing the company of fostering social media addiction among children.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California dismissed claims that Zuckerberg directly oversaw efforts to hide the mental health risks of Facebook and Instagram from children.

Plaintiffs argued that Zuckerberg, Meta's billionaire co-founder, was the "guiding spirit" behind alleged concealment, citing his disregard of internal warnings and his public downplaying of the risks.

However, the judge found insufficient evidence of specific wrongdoing by Zuckerberg, noting that "control of corporate activity alone is insufficient" for personal liability. The decision does not impact related claims against Meta itself.

The 25 lawsuits are part of a broader wave of litigation, with children, families, and school districts seeking damages from Meta, Google, ByteDance (TikTok), and Snap (Snapchat) over social media addiction.