FILE PHOTO: Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg reacts as he testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
(Reuters) - A federal judge said Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg is not personally liable in 25 lawsuits accusing his company of addicting children to social media. U.S. 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. 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.
