Mark Zuckerberg is seeking to avoid personal liability in dozens of lawsuits accusing Meta and other social media companies of addicting children to their platforms.
As the CEO, Zuckerberg faces allegations that he ignored warnings about Instagram and Facebook’s risks to children.
“With great power comes great responsibility,” plaintiffs’ attorneys wrote in a court filing. “Unfortunately, Mr. Zuckerberg has not lived up to that maxim.”
At a hearing, his lawyers will argue he cannot be held responsible solely due to his leadership role at Meta.
While executives can sometimes be held personally liable, it is difficult when decisions are made by larger organizations.
A ruling against Zuckerberg could encourage more individual claims against CEOs.
However, his lawyers contend he had no duty to disclose safety findings to the public.
Nearly 1000 suits have been filed against various tech companies over social media’s impact on youth.
