Meta, ByteDance, Alphabet and Snap should be prosecuted because their social platforms are having a negative impact on children's mental health, a US federal court ruled on Tuesday.
The district judge of USA Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected the request of the largest social networks to dismiss the dozens of lawsuits accusing the Companies that their platforms are "addictive" for children.
School districts across the US have filed lawsuits against Meta, ByteDance, Alphabet and Snap, alleging the companies cause physical and emotional harm to children.
Meanwhile, 42 states sued Meta last month alleging that Facebook and Instagram have "profoundly altered the psychological and social reality of a generation of young Americans." That lawsuit also includes "over 140 individual lawsuits" filed against the companies.
Tuesday's ruling says the First Amendment and Section 230, which specifically says online platforms should not be treated like third-party content publishers, don't protect Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat from any liability in this case.
Judge Gonzalez Rogers stated that many of the claims made by the larger social networks they do not "constitute a right to freedom of speech or expression" as they deal with "defects" in their own platforms. This includes inadequate parental controls, no "robust" age verification system, and a very difficult account deletion process.
"Addressing these flaws would not require the defendants to change the way the internet works," said Judge Gonzalez Rogers.
“For example, parental notifications could reasonably authorize them parents to limit their children's access to the platform or discuss with them the use of the platform".
