Court Declines Meta’s Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Accusing Company of Harming Children

Several platform features induce youngsters into an ‘extended, addictive, and compulsive use’ of these services, the plaintiffs claim.

The logos of Meta-owned services on a smartphone screen in Moscow on Oct. 5, 2021. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

A lawsuit alleging that Meta platforms including Facebook and Instagram pose a risk to children can move forward, a federal court in California ruled on Tuesday.

The multi-district litigation involves hundreds of complaints filed by school districts, personal injury plaintiffs, local government entities, and 34 states, according to an Oct. 15 order from the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California.