A federal judge has refused to throw out a lawsuit brought by dozens of state attorneys general against Meta Platforms, allowing claims to proceed that the company deliberately built Facebook and Instagram to hook children and then hid the damage it was causing.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, based in Oakland, California, issued the ruling late Monday, rejecting Meta’s motion to dismiss. The judge allowed claims involving deception, unfair practices, and violations of the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to continue.
Judge Gonzalez Rogers went further, stating there was no dispute that Meta failed to meet the law’s requirements for notifying users and obtaining parental consent. On that specific point, she granted summary judgment in favor of the states — meaning that portion of the case is essentially already decided against Meta.
As of Tuesday, Meta had not responded to requests for comment on the ruling.
