Meta's Zuckerberg Not Liable in Lawsuits over Social Media Harm to Children

Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg reacts as he testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation at the US Capitol in Washington, US, January 31, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg reacts as he testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation at the US Capitol in Washington, US, January 31, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
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Meta's Zuckerberg Not Liable in Lawsuits over Social Media Harm to Children

Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg reacts as he testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation at the US Capitol in Washington, US, January 31, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg reacts as he testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation at the US Capitol in Washington, US, January 31, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

A federal judge said Meta Platforms (META.O), CEO Mark Zuckerberg is not personally liable in 25 lawsuits accusing his company of addicting children to social media.

US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California rejected accusations on Thursday that Zuckerberg directed Meta's efforts to conceal from children the serious mental health risks of using Facebook and Instagram, Reuters reported.

The plaintiffs called Meta's billionaire co-founder the "guiding spirit" behind alleged concealment efforts, saying he ignored repeated internal warnings about the risks and publicly downplayed them.

But the judge found a lack of specifics about what Zuckerberg did wrong, and said "control of corporate activity alone is insufficient" to establish liability. Her decision does not affect related claims against Meta itself.

The plaintiffs brought claims under the laws of 13 US states: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Previn Warren, a partner at Motley Rice representing the plaintiffs, said on Friday his clients will continue gathering evidence "to uncover the truth about how Big Tech has knowingly prioritized profits over the safety of our children."

The 25 lawsuits are among several hundred by children, their families and school districts seeking damages from Meta, Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), Google, ByteDance's TikTok and Snap's (SNAP.N), Snapchat over social media addiction.

Dozens of US state attorneys general are pursuing similar cases against Meta, linking its social media platforms to anxiety, depression, insomnia, and interference with education and daily life.

The case is In re Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, US District Court, Northern District of California, No. 22-md-03047.



India to Offer $4-$5 Bln in Incentives for Electronics Production, Weaning Off China

A social media influencer uses a phone on the day of the unveiling of Hyundai IONIQ 9, a three-row electric SUV during a Hyundai event in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California, US, November 20, 2024. REUTERS/Daniel Cole
A social media influencer uses a phone on the day of the unveiling of Hyundai IONIQ 9, a three-row electric SUV during a Hyundai event in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California, US, November 20, 2024. REUTERS/Daniel Cole
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India to Offer $4-$5 Bln in Incentives for Electronics Production, Weaning Off China

A social media influencer uses a phone on the day of the unveiling of Hyundai IONIQ 9, a three-row electric SUV during a Hyundai event in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California, US, November 20, 2024. REUTERS/Daniel Cole
A social media influencer uses a phone on the day of the unveiling of Hyundai IONIQ 9, a three-row electric SUV during a Hyundai event in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California, US, November 20, 2024. REUTERS/Daniel Cole

India will offer up to $5 billion in incentives to companies to make components locally for gadgets from mobiles to laptops, two government officials said, in a bid to bolster the burgeoning industry and wean off supplies from China.
India's electronic production has more than doubled in the last six years to $115 billion in 2024, led by growth in mobile manufacturing by global firms such as Apple and Samsung. It is now the world's fourth-largest smart phone supplier.
But the sector faces criticism for its heavy reliance on imported components from countries such as China.
"The new scheme will incentivize production of key components like printed circuit boards that will improve domestic value addition and deepen local supply chains for a range of electronics," one of the two officials said.
The incentives are likely to be offered under a new scheme expected to be launched in two to three months, said the officials, who asked not to be identified as details of the scheme are not yet public.
The scheme is likely to offer incentives totaling between $4-$5 billion to global or local firms which qualify, Reuters reported.
The plan, designed by the India's electronics ministry, has identified components eligible for incentives and is in its final stages.
The finance ministry will approve the scheme's final allocation soon, the first official added, with the sources expecting it to be launched in the next 2-3 months.
India's electronics ministry and finance ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
India is aiming to expand its electronics manufacturing to $500 billion by the fiscal year 2030, including production of components worth $150 billion, according to the government's top policy think tank Niti Aayog.
India imported electronics, telecoms gear, and electrical products worth $89.8 billion in the fiscal year 2024, with more than half sourced from China and Hong Kong, according to an analysis by private think tank GTRI.
"This scheme is coming at a time when it is critical to promote component manufacturing that will help us aim for a global-scale of electronics production," Pankaj Mohindroo, head of India's Cellular and Electronics Association, said.