BUSINESS INSIDER
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is arguing he can’t be held personally liable for accusations that his platforms have led to kids being addicted to social media — and he may have a point.
Zuckerberg’s legal team was in court in Oakland, California, this week over a string of lawsuits filed against Meta and him personally by parents and schools that allege his actions and Meta’s have harmed children by causing social media addiction, NBC Bay Area reported.
Zuckerberg has requested he personally be dropped from the two dozen lawsuits, which were filed by people from over a dozen states. A ruling in the billionaire’s favor would excuse him from being held personally liable but would not dismiss the cases against Meta.
The lawsuits claim that Zuckerberg’s actions and inaction led to social media addiction and accused him of ignoring warnings that Facebook and Instagram were unsafe for kids.
In court records viewed by Business Insider, Zuckerberg’s lawyers said, “It is a fundamental principle that individuals cannot be held personally liable for the acts or omissions of a corporation based merely on their status as corporate executives, directors, or shareholders.”
His lawyers reiterated their arguments in court on Friday, saying there is a clear difference between what Zuckerberg as an individual is personally liable for and his role as CEO, NBC Bay Area reported.
Lawyers for Zuckerberg did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.
In corporate law, executives are typically shielded from personal liability, Bloomberg noted Friday.
The “corporate veil” — which generally refers to distinctions between a business and its owners — shields executives in most circumstances, although there are exceptions, according to an article from the law firm Oberheiden P.C.
Some situations in which executives can face liability include criminal acts and intentional or grossly negligent noncompliance. They can also face liability in lawsuits filed by third parties against a CEO, Oberheiden P.C. wrote, noting, “In these lawsuits, plaintiffs are not seeking to hold CEOs liable for corporate acts (or purportedly corporate acts), but instead for acts undertaken by CEOs in their individual capacities.”
In other words, when a civil lawsuit is filed against a CEO over an action they personally took.
