WASHINGTON — Meta Platforms is lobbying members of the U.S. Congress to include legal protections in pending online safety legislation that would shield social media companies from certain lawsuits alleging harm to children, according to people familiar with the discussions and documents reviewed by Reuters.
The effort comes as Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, faces thousands of lawsuits across the United States alleging that its products contribute to mental health problems, addiction and other harms among young users. The proposed protection is being discussed as part of negotiations surrounding the reintroduced Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bipartisan bill aimed at strengthening safeguards for minors online.
According to Reuters, Meta has proposed language that would limit the ability of plaintiffs to bring certain state-law claims related to harms suffered by minors on digital platforms. The company has argued that a federal standard would create consistency across states rather than eliminate accountability.
A Meta spokesperson said the proposal is intended to prevent a patchwork of state regulations and legal standards. “We support strong protections for teens online and believe companies should operate under clear national rules,” the spokesperson said, according to Reuters.
Critics of the proposal say it could significantly reduce legal avenues available to families, schools and state governments seeking to hold technology companies accountable for alleged harms to children. Julia Duncan, a representative of the American Association for Justice, told Reuters that the language would provide broad immunity to social media firms facing litigation.
The lobbying effort follows a series of legal setbacks for Meta and other technology companies. In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Alphabet’s Google negligent for designing social media platforms that harmed a young user, awarding damages in what was viewed as a closely watched test case among thousands of similar lawsuits. Both companies said they planned to appeal.
Meta has also faced litigation from several states. In New Mexico, the company has been defending claims that its platforms harmed young users and failed to adequately protect children from exploitation. Meta has denied wrongdoing and said it has invested heavily in safety measures and youth protections.
Lawmakers from both parties have continued to examine online child safety issues. Last month, congressional leaders invited the chief executives of Meta, Alphabet, TikTok and Snap to testify regarding the impact of social media on children and teenagers.
As of Friday, negotiations over KOSA were continuing in Congress. Details of any final legislative language remained unclear, and lawmakers had not announced whether Meta’s proposed liability protections would be included in the bill.
