Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark, in partnership with New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, led a coalition of nine other states in filing an amicus brief supporting state court litigation against Meta. The brief, filed yesterday in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, highlights decisions from Vermont and other state courts which have found that Meta is not immune, under the federal Communications Decency Act, from claims that the company uses coercive design features to addict children to its social media platforms.
“Meta’s business model is built around addicting teens and children to their platforms using algorithms and deceptive practices that exploit the vulnerabilities of these youth,” said Attorney General Clark. “I brought a lawsuit against Meta to stop these harms, and now I’m supporting other states in their lawsuits against Meta as well. Nothing is as important as the health and safety of our children, and I’ll never stop fighting to protect them.”
State courts across the country have largely agreed that Meta must address claims that it is harming children. However, a federal court in California dismissed parts of the claims brought by other state attorneys general. Vermont filed this brief to inform the Ninth Circuit about the State court decision, including one from a Vermont state court which correctly concluded that Meta can be held accountable for addicting children to its products.
Joining Attorney General Clark in filing this brief are attorneys general from New Hampshire, Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah.
A copy of the brief, filed yesterday, is available here.
7.1.2025. MONTPELIER, Vt. – Attorney General
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