A lawsuit filed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts against Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, will proceed despite the company’s attempts to have it dismissed, as ruled by a judge on Friday. The lawsuit accuses Meta of deliberately designing features to addict children to its platforms. Meta argued that the lawsuit violated Section 230, which protects social media platforms from liability for user content, and infringed upon the First Amendment.
Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Peter Krupp stated that Section 230’s protections do not extend to the allegedly false statements made by Meta regarding its efforts to safeguard children on its platforms and prevent those under 13 from accessing them. The lawsuit aims to hold Meta accountable for its business practices rather than user-generated content.
Meta expressed disagreement with the court’s decision, emphasizing its development of various tools to assist parents and teens. The company has announced changes to Instagram to provide a protected experience for teens, including features that limit interaction and content visibility.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell commented on the ruling, stating that it allows the state to advance its efforts to hold Meta accountable and seek substantial changes to protect young users on the company’s platforms. Massachusetts is part of a coalition of over two dozen states that filed lawsuits against Meta last year, with a recent ruling in California also permitting the progression of these legal actions.
