Key Takeaways
- A judge decided that Snap, TikTok, Google, and Meta must be sued for school addiction.
- Schools allege these platforms target children with addictive characteristics.
- The verdict is in opposition to a previous Los Angeles court finding.
A federal judge has said that school districts must sue Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap for operating addictive platforms that contribute to a mental health problem among students.
According to Bloomberg News, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, made this ruling on Thursday.
The decision was made only three days after Meta prevailed in a child safety lawsuit. Because there was insufficient proof of financial damage or deliberate misrepresentation, a U.S. district court dismissed charges on Tuesday, ruling that Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg had not misled investors about safeguarding young users.
Notwithstanding this victory, Meta continues to be criticized for its privacy and user safety policies on all of its platforms.
Schools assert that platforms are designed to encourage children’s addiction.
The firms’ algorithms and features, like the “like” button, were purposefully created to make their platforms addicting, according to the school districts, which is why teenagers use them excessively.
Social media behemoths have already been sued on allegations of child addiction. In a case filed in June, social media companies ByteDance, Meta, Google, and Snap were found not guilty of allowing teenage users to be at greater risk for mental health issues.
Judge Rogers has now deemed this claim plausible, in contrast to the June court order, indicating that some elements on the platforms might have contributed to a rise in mental health problems in schools, necessitating the use of more resources.
Judge Rogers has limited the claims, ruling that some of them fit under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which grants internet corporations limited immunity from lawsuits pertaining to user-generated content, even if the case will still go forward.
However, more than 600 cases in Los Angeles courts have been dismissed, and more than 150 cases under Rogers’ authority will have additional hearings.
The companies’ representatives refuted the accusations, pointing out that they already have safety precautions in place for children.
