Oakland-based US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers dismissed Meta’s appeal against the claims made in two separate lawsuits that were filed last year. One of the lawsuits involves 30 states and the other was filed by the state of Florida.
This pretty much means that Meta may have to go to trial. As usual with such court battles, it may be a long one before it reaches a final ruling.
Meta has rejected the allegations and claims that the company has developed numerous tools to support parents and teens.
Meta isn’t the only tech giant that’s currently facing lawsuits about the effects of its social media platforms on younger users. Other companies such as ByteDance (the owner of TikTok), Google, and Snap are facing similar allegations in their own lawsuits.
It’s no secret to anyone that teen users are facing issues with social media addiction. I find it great that the government is getting involved and trying to address the issue with teens, mental health, and social media. I think this would make social media in the future way more mental-health-friendly and will force these companies to hopefully prioritize their users’ well-being instead of only thinking about profits.
These lawsuits take quite some time, as there could be several appeals to decisions at different stages of the lawsuit, so don’t expect a resolution anytime soon. However, the fact that the issue is being talked about and addressed in court is definitely a step in the right direction.