Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Meta may face lawsuits for alleged role in teen mental health crisis

POSTED ON October 16, 2024 •   TECHNOLOGY      BY Benedicta Bassey
Meta Logo

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that Meta Platform, must face lawsuits brought by US states indicting it of it alleged role in teenage metal health crisis, making its platforms additive.

Meta platform is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

The decision might pose significant implications for the global tech giant.

US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, based in Oakland, California, rejected Meta’s attempt to dismiss the claims in two separate lawsuits filed last year.

One of the lawsuits was brought by a coalition of more than 30 states, including California and New York, while the other was filed by the state of Florida.

Although, Judge Rogers limited some of the states’ claims by ruling that Section 230, a federal law regulating online platforms, offers Meta partial protection.

She concluded that the states had provided enough detail to move forward with most of their case.

Section 230 generally shields tech companies from being held liable for content posted by users, but in this case, the judge found that the states had presented sufficient allegations of misleading statements by Meta about the potential harms of its platforms.

In addition to the states’ lawsuits, the judge also rejected motions to dismiss related personal injury lawsuits brought by individual plaintiffs against Meta and other major tech companies, including ByteDance’s TikTok, Google parent Alphabet’s YouTube, and Snap Inc.’s Snapchat.

While these companies are not named as defendants in the states’ lawsuits, they are facing similar claims from individual users regarding harm caused by their platforms.

The ruling is said to be a significant development, allowing the states and other plaintiffs to gather more evidence and potentially bring the cases to trial.

However, it is not a final judgment on the validity of their claims.

In response to the ruling, California Attorney General Rob Bonta reiterated the importance of holding Meta accountable.

In a statement, he said, “Meta needs to be held accountable for the very real harm it has inflicted on children here in California and across the country."

Lawyers representing the personal injury plaintiffs also hailed the judge’s decision as a victory.

In a joint statement, they said, “This is a significant victory for young people nationwide who have been negatively impacted by addictive and harmful social media platforms.”

READ ALSO
NCC, REA Forge Partnership to Enhance Rural Connectivity and Energy Solutions
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 3, 2025 0

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have officia...

READ ALSO
Microsoft Cuts 4% of Workforce Amid AI Investment Strategy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 2, 2025 0

Microsoft is set to lay off nearly 4% of its workforce, impacting around 9,000 employees across diff...

READ ALSO
Elon Musk's Robotaxi Ambitions Take Off in Austin amid Controversy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 22, 2025 0

Tesla is set to start its robotaxi service in Austin on Sunday, a move that supporters of Elon Musk...

READ ALSO
Tanzania,  Nigeria Lead Africa in Rising Fraud Rates- Report
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 19, 2025 0

Tanzania and Nigeria have emerged as the leading countries in Africa for higher fraud rates, accordi...

READ ALSO
OpenAI Secures $200m Contract with US Department of Defense
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 17, 2025 0

The US Department of Defense on Monday awarded OpenAI a $200 million contract to utilize generative...

READ ALSO
60,000 Nigerians Abroad Register on Diaspora Data Mapping Portal
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 3, 2025 0

Approximately 60,000 Nigerians residing overseas have registered on the Diaspora Data Mapping Portal...

READ ALSO
Federal Ministry Unveils Digital Village to Bridge Digital Divide in Abuja Community
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 30, 2025 0

The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy has launched a Digital Villag...

READ ALSO
FG Unveils Project CNG-SPROUT to Revolutionize Campus Transport with Clean Energy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 30, 2025 0

The federal government has launched a transportation initiative called "Project CNG-SPROUT," designe...

OUR CHANNELS:

EFCC Raids Cybercrime Training Facility in Umuahia, Arrests 23 Suspects
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 20, 2025 0

The Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raided a cyberc...


FG Unveils Legal Framework to Protect Endangered Species
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 21, 2025 0

The federal government has announced plans to implement a legal framework aimed at safeguarding enda...


Kogi Lecturer Dies during Sex with Student
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 21, 2025 0

The lifeless body of Olabode Ibikunle, a senior lecturer at Kogi State University, was discovered in...


Burkina Faso's Junta Dissolves Electoral Commission to Cut Costs, Boost Sovereignty
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 21, 2025 0

The military government of Burkina Faso has abolished the Independent National Electoral Commission,...


FG Urges Court to Dismiss Kanu's No-Case Submission Amidst Terrorism Charges
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 21, 2025 0

The Federal Government on Friday, requested that the Federal High Court in Abuja dismiss the no-case...


Army Launches 2025 Bi-Annual Training on Mental Health for Combat Troops
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 21, 2025 0

The Nigerian Armed Forces has initiated the 2025 First Bi-Annual Sensitisation Training focused on S...


Nigeria Police Force Successfully Rescues 31 Abducted Individuals
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 21, 2025 0

The Nigeria Police Force has reported the successful rescue of 31 abducted individuals in two distin...


Health Workers Threaten Nationwide Strike Over Controversial Allowance
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 21, 2025 0

Medical practitioners in Ekiti and Ondo states have voiced strong opposition to a recent circular is...


Nigeria's Electricity Tariff Subsidy Soars to N1.94 Trillion in 2024, Marking a 219.67% Increase
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 19, 2025 0

The electricity tariff subsidy from the Federal Government has increased significantly from N610 bil...


Tinubu Renamed University of Maiduguri in Honor of Late President Muhammadu Buhari
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 20, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu has approved the renaming of the University of Maiduguri in Borno State to Muh...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu