Meta Platforms defeats shareholder lawsuit over child safety claims
Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against Meta and Zuckerberg Over Child Safety Claims
The court dismissed a lawsuit claiming Meta Platforms and Zuckerberg misled shareholders about safeguarding child users.
A court dismissed the lawsuit accusing Meta and Zuckerberg of misleading shareholders about child safety on Facebook and Instagram.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco ruled on Tuesday that Matt Eisner, the plaintiff, did not demonstrate that shareholders incurred financial losses due to Meta’s purportedly insufficient disclosures.
He stated that federal law did not require Meta to disclose details of explicit content or unimplemented child safety measures.
Breyer stated Eisner could have opposed Meta’s recommendations, highlighted flaws, and downplayed achievements, actions he deemed unnecessary.
Eisner’s legal team left requests for comment unanswered.
Similarly, Meta and Zuckerberg’s lawyers did not respond promptly to similar inquiries.
The legal action aimed to prevent Meta from convening its annual meeting in 2024 until revising the proxy statement, invalidated the election outcomes if the meeting proceeded, and demanded that Meta and Zuckerberg bear Eisner’s legal expenses.
In June, Breyer declined to halt the meeting, stating that several of Meta’s pledges regarding children’s safety in the proxy statement were merely “aspirational” and were insufficient grounds for the legal action.
Meta Faces Growing Legal Challenges Over Social Media Addiction Allegations
The termination on Tuesday was deemed prejudicial, meaning another lawsuit against Meta and Zuckerberg cannot be filed by Eisner.
State attorneys general accuse Meta of fostering addiction among children through its apps while downplaying the associated dangers.
Numerous legal challenges await the tech giant as it confronts a barrage of lawsuits filed by minors, their parents, and educational institutions concerning the issue of social media dependency. Likewise, TikTok, Snapchat, and other app providers find themselves entangled in a multitude of legal battles stemming from similar accusations.
The case Eisner v Meta Platforms Inc et al has initiated legal proceedings in the U.S.
District Court for the Northern District of California, identified as No. 24-02175.
