Meta Bans Law Firm Ads Seeking Social Media Addiction Claimants

Social media giant Meta has announced it is prohibiting law firms from placing advertisements on its platforms that aim to recruit individuals for future litigation concerning social media addiction. The company stated, "We will not allow trial lawyers to profit from our platforms while simultaneously claiming they are harmful."

Legal Scrutiny Intensifies for Meta

This decision comes after Meta recently lost two substantial lawsuits in the United States. A landmark trial in California saw a young woman successfully sue Meta and YouTube over her childhood addiction to social media, resulting in a £4.5 million award, with Meta liable for 70%.

Separately, a New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay £279 million for misleading users about the safety of its platforms for children. In that case, a jury found Meta responsible for exposing children to sexually explicit material and contact with predators.

Lawyers Decry Meta's Stance

Emily Jeffcott, an attorney for Morgan & Morgan, one of the firms affected by the ban, criticised Meta's actions as "another example of Meta trying to control the narrative and avoid accountability." She argued that Meta's resources would be better utilised improving user safety through tools to reduce problematic use and detect underage users.

Despite Meta's claims, several advertisements from law firms reportedly remain active on Meta's Ad Library. Meta's advertising standards allow the company to remove ads that negatively affect its relationship with users or promote content contrary to its competitive interests.