Meta Asks Congress for Immunity from Child-Harm Lawsuits

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Social media giant Meta reportedly is asking Congress for special protections from child-harm lawsuits in state courts.

Meta is the parent company that owns Facebook and Instagram, and over the past two decades it has grown into one of the largest social media corporations in the world. But the company has come under fire for failing to protect children on its platform.

In March, a New Mexico jury ruled that Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on Instagram and Facebook. Jurors found thousands of violations, with penalties of $375 million. The day after that ruling, a Los Angeles jury awarded $3 million in damages to a young woman who said she became addicted to Meta and YouTube as a child, and recommended another $3 million in punitive damages after finding the companies acted with malice. Evidence presented at trial showed that tech executives knew their platforms were dangerous for children, but kept that information hidden. The companies face additional lawsuits from other children and families who say they suffered harm on these platforms as well.

Instead of taking steps to make its social media products safe for children, Reuters reports Meta is lobbying Congress for protection from child-harm lawsuits under the federal Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The language would make online companies “immune from suit or liability under state law with respect to all claims ​for loss caused by, arising out of, relating to, or resulting from the safety or privacy of individuals under the age of eighteen online or otherwise related to the provisions” of KOSA.

Writing this into federal law could prevent AI platforms and social media companies from being held accountable when their negligence or misconduct harms teens who use these platforms.

All of this is significant for Arkansas, because Attorney General Tim Griffin has sued Meta in state court for endangering children.

The Arkansas Attorney General’s Office has alleged that platforms like Facebook and Instagram are built around algorithms intentionally designed “to exploit human psychology and foster addiction to maximize users’ screen time,” and that this exploitation is especially true of young users with developing brains.

Social media platforms are a multibillion dollar industry. The adults who own and profit from these companies have a responsibility to protect children on their platforms.

Family Council is not aware of any attorney general in America who is doing more to hold social media giants accountable and protect children online than Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. Our federal policymakers need to do their part to hold these companies accountable and protect children as well.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Courts Hold Social Media Giant Accountable for Harming Kids

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Two juries in two days have found Facebook and Instagram owner, Meta, liable for harming children on its social media platforms.

Last Tuesday, a New Mexico jury ruled that Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on Instagram and Facebook. Jurors found thousands of violations, with penalties of $375 million.

On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury awarded $3 million in damages to a young woman who said she became addicted to Meta and YouTube as a child, and recommended $3 million in punitive damages after finding the companies acted with malice.

Evidence presented at trial showed that tech executives knew their platforms were dangerous for children, but kept that information hidden.

The judge presiding over the case will make a final decision about how damages that the companies must pay.

All of this is significant for Arkansas, because Attorney General Tim Griffin has sued Meta in state court for endangering children.

The Arkansas Attorney General’s Office has alleged that platforms like Facebook and Instagram are built around algorithms intentionally designed “to exploit human psychology and foster addiction to maximize users’ screen time,” and that this exploitation is especially true of young users with developing brains.

Social media platforms are a multibillion dollar industry. The adults who own and profit from these companies have a responsibility to protect children on their platforms.

Family Council is not aware of any attorney general in America who is doing more to hold social media giants accountable and protect children online than Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin.

It’s good to see courts in California and New Mexico protecting kids online. We hope Arkansas’ courts will protect children as well.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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8th Circuit Gives Arkansas A.G. Greenlight to Appeal Case Protecting Kids Online

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Earlier this month the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals gave Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office a greenlight to continue defending a state law designed to protect children online.

In 2023 the Arkansas Legislature passed the Social Media Safety Act. This good law by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jon Eubanks (R – Paris) requires major social media companies to ensure minors don’t access social media platforms without parental consent. A social media company that violated the law could be held liable.

In response, a group of social media tech giants sued to strike down the Social Media Safety Act as unconstitutional.

In March U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks in Fayetteville issued a final order blocking the State of Arkansas from enforcing the Social Media Safety Act. Among other things, Judge Brooks’ ruling claims that Arkansas’ Social Media Safety Act is unconstitutionally broad and vague.

However, the A.G.’s team has appealed that decision. A panel of judges at the Eighth Circuit have now asked Attorney General Griffin to submit a brief in the case by November 3.

A growing body of evidence shows that — by design — social media platforms are not appropriate for children.

TikTok has been accused of serving kids a steady “diet of darkness” online and struggling to protect private user data from entities in China, such as the Chinese Communist Party.

The Arkansas Attorney General’s Office has filed documents in other court cases alleging that platforms like Facebook and Instagram are built around algorithms intentionally designed “to exploit human psychology and foster addiction to maximize users’ screen time,” and that this exploitation is especially true of young users with developing brains.

Social media platforms are more than just websites or phone apps. These are multibillion dollar corporations, and the adults who own and profit from them have a responsibility to protect children on their platforms. They should not be able to register children as users and let those children post photos and videos on their platforms without parental consent.

Family Council is not aware of any attorney general in America who is doing more to hold social media giants accountable and protect children online than Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. We appreciate his willingness to appeal to the Eighth Circuit, and we are confident our federal courts ultimately will let Arkansas protect children on social media.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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