Mark Zuckerberg is seeking to avoid personal liability in two dozen lawsuits accusing Meta Platforms Inc. and other social media companies of addicting children to their products. The Meta CEO made his case at a hearing Friday in California federal court, but the judge did not immediately make a decision. A ruling in Zuckerberg’s favor would dismiss him as a personal defendant in the litigation with no impact on the allegations against Meta.
Holding him personally responsible may be challenging due to a corporate law tradition of shielding executives from liability, especially at larger companies where decision-making is often layered. A loss for the billionaire who co-founded Facebook two decades ago could set a precedent for claims against other CEOs in mass personal injury litigation.
Zuckerberg is facing allegations from young people and parents that he ignored warnings about the safety of Instagram and Facebook for children, choosing not to share the findings publicly.
The cases involving Zuckerberg are part of over 1,000 suits in state and federal courts against Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers recently allowed some claims to proceed while dismissing others.
Plaintiffs argue that as the face of Meta, Zuckerberg has a responsibility to address the risks posed by the company’s platforms to children’s health.
At the hearing, Rogers questioned whether Zuckerberg had a duty to disclose safety information to users of his products without a special relationship. She also discussed how laws governing corporate officer responsibility apply to Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg’s lawyers claim that he cannot be held personally responsible for actions at Meta just because he is the CEO. They argue that he did not have a duty to disclose the safety findings allegedly reported to him.
The judge appeared more sympathetic to arguments that Zuckerberg could be liable for concealing information as a corporate officer at Meta. The case is ongoing, and Zuckerberg also faces potential personal liability in a separate lawsuit over the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal.
Social media companies have faced increased scrutiny for their impact on mental health and role in spreading explicit content. At a Senate hearing, Zuckerberg apologized to victims’ families and offered compensation for victims of online exploitation.
The case is In Re Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, 22-md-03047, US District Court, Northern District of California (Oakland).
© 2024 Bloomberg L.P.
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