Social Media and the Mental Health Crisis: Company Liability for Addiction

The question of whether firms have moral agency is fundamental for handling civil and criminal violations that businesses commit. Consider, for example, the recent lawsuits against Meta—the parent company of several social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram—filed by 42 Attorneys General. The complaints allege that Meta intentionally exploited vulnerable young people for profit, fueling a mental health crisis among teenagers. According to the press releases announcing the lawsuit, prosecutors seek to protect children and teens by holding Meta accountable for its wrongdoing. This demand for accountability has a strong emotional appeal, but what exactly does it mean to hold a company responsible for the harm that it has caused? In this paper, I argue that genuine accountability is impossible unless sanctions are imposed on individuals. I make this case using the Purdue Pharma settlement litigation as a case study. I will complete the paper when the Supreme Court issues its decision in the Purdue case (likely in June 2024).