If the Dark Knight were to be updated for a 2026 audience, the Joker v. Harvey Dent hospital scene may have gone a little like this: “If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a girl will develop bulimia from their Twitter usage, or a bus full of kids will fry their attention spans on TikTok, nobody panics, because it’s all ‘part of the plan.’ But when I say that one little preteen got caught smoking a cigarette, well, then everyone loses their minds!”
What are the dangers of social media and who is responsible? The questions were once fodder for abstract discussions about objective violence, but the questions are becoming more concrete and demanding answers. Teenagers have said that the pressure to use social media is stronger than the pressure to drink and smoke — what does that mean for the companies that are accused of ramping up how addictive they are to use?
Meta is one of the big names being drawn into court over their algorithmic choices. Meta and YouTube had to pay their share of a $3M lawsuit back in March when a jury found them liable for encouraging a child’s development of depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia. And while the case was notable for the damages, it was only one of many cases going for Meta’s pockets. The social media giant tried to get the Supreme Court to dismiss one of these lawsuits, but the Court chose to let Meta fend for themselves. Reuters has coverage:
The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Tuesday to hear a bid by Meta Platforms to avoid a lawsuit brought by Vermont’s attorney general accusing the company of designing its Instagram social media app to be addictive to young users, as big technology companies face mounting legal risks over child and teen safety.
The justices turned away Meta’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling that let the lawsuit proceed, rejecting the company’s argument that courts in Vermont lack jurisdiction over the dispute.
Gotta love civil procedure! Meta argued that it was unfair for them to be subject to Vermont’s jurisdiction, but the state’s Supreme Court wasn’t buying it:
“A company that reaches out and purposefully avails itself of a forum state’s market for its own economic gain can expect to be haled into court in that jurisdiction to account for its conduct related to those business activities,” the Vermont Supreme Court said.
If other state courts see the situation similarly — and the Supreme Court doesn’t step in at a later time — that opens Meta to be sued in any state. Hey, gotta pay the costs of doing business. If you can target any and every customer where they are, any and every customer should be able to sue you if targeting them does damage where they are. This is a win for any parties threatening social media lawsuits or are in the middle of settlement talks with Meta.
US Supreme Court Won’t Hear Meta’s Challenge To Vermont Social Media Addiction Lawsuit [Reuters]
Earlier: Jury Finds Meta And YouTube’s Negligence Led To Addiction In Kids
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boat builder who is learning to swim and is interested in rhetoric, Spinozists and humor. Getting back in to cycling wouldn’t hurt either. You can reach him by email at christopherrashadwilliams@gmail.com and by Tweet/Bluesky at @WritesForRent.
The post Supreme Court Tells Meta To Lick Their Lower Court Wounds appeared first on Above the Law.
If the Dark Knight were to be updated for a 2026 audience, the Joker v. Harvey Dent hospital scene may have gone a little like this: “If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a girl will develop bulimia from their Twitter usage, or a bus full of kids will fry their attention spans on TikTok, nobody panics, because it’s all ‘part of the plan.’ But when I say that one little preteen got caught smoking a cigarette, well, then everyone loses their minds!”
What are the dangers of social media and who is responsible? The questions were once fodder for abstract discussions about objective violence, but the questions are becoming more concrete and demanding answers. Teenagers have said that the pressure to use social media is stronger than the pressure to drink and smoke — what does that mean for the companies that are accused of ramping up how addictive they are to use?
Meta is one of the big names being drawn into court over their algorithmic choices. Meta and YouTube had to pay their share of a $3M lawsuit back in March when a jury found them liable for encouraging a child’s development of depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia. And while the case was notable for the damages, it was only one of many cases going for Meta’s pockets. The social media giant tried to get the Supreme Court to dismiss one of these lawsuits, but the Court chose to let Meta fend for themselves. Reuters has coverage:
The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Tuesday to hear a bid by Meta Platforms to avoid a lawsuit brought by Vermont’s attorney general accusing the company of designing its Instagram social media app to be addictive to young users, as big technology companies face mounting legal risks over child and teen safety.
The justices turned away Meta’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling that let the lawsuit proceed, rejecting the company’s argument that courts in Vermont lack jurisdiction over the dispute.
Gotta love civil procedure! Meta argued that it was unfair for them to be subject to Vermont’s jurisdiction, but the state’s Supreme Court wasn’t buying it:
“A company that reaches out and purposefully avails itself of a forum state’s market for its own economic gain can expect to be haled into court in that jurisdiction to account for its conduct related to those business activities,” the Vermont Supreme Court said.
If other state courts see the situation similarly — and the Supreme Court doesn’t step in at a later time — that opens Meta to be sued in any state. Hey, gotta pay the costs of doing business. If you can target any and every customer where they are, any and every customer should be able to sue you if targeting them does damage where they are. This is a win for any parties threatening social media lawsuits or are in the middle of settlement talks with Meta.
US Supreme Court Won’t Hear Meta’s Challenge To Vermont Social Media Addiction Lawsuit [Reuters]
Earlier: Jury Finds Meta And YouTube’s Negligence Led To Addiction In Kids
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boat builder who is learning to swim and is interested in rhetoric, Spinozists and humor. Getting back in to cycling wouldn’t hurt either. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by Tweet/Bluesky at @WritesForRent.
