A federal judge permits lawsuits against social media giants regarding claims of child addiction.
The lawsuits, representing individual children, allege that the companies unlawfully lured and addicted kids, resulting in mental health harm.
In a notable legal development, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has ruled against major social media companies, including Alphabet, Meta Platforms, ByteDance, and Snap, denying their efforts to dismiss nationwide litigation. The lawsuits, representing individual children, assert that these companies unlawfully attracted and addicted millions of children to their platforms, resulting in mental health harm.
The ruling, encompassing hundreds of lawsuits, permits the litigation to advance, pursuing remedies such as damages and the cessation of the alleged wrongful practices. Judge Rogers rejected the companies’ claims of immunity under the First Amendment and the federal Communications Decency Act, highlighting that the plaintiffs’ allegations go beyond third-party content.
This ruling represents a significant victory for the families involved. It comes amid a broader legal landscape where more than 140 school districts and 42 states, including the District of Columbia, have also initiated legal action against social media platforms for issues related to youth addiction.
What is the significance or importance of this?
This decision is in line with a recent ruling in Los Angeles County, where a judge dismissed the use of the First Amendment and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act as shields in lawsuits claiming that platforms contribute to addiction and mental health issues in young users. The scrutiny on big tech is increasing as concerns mount. Similar apprehensions about the addictive strategies of digital platforms have now extended to Europe, leading the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee to support a report advocating for stronger regulations against addictive designs in digital platforms.
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