Nov 8 (Reuters) - A federal judge said Meta Platforms ( META )

CEO Mark Zuckerberg is not personally liable in 25

lawsuits accusing his company of addicting children to social

media.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland,

California rejected accusations on Thursday that Zuckerberg

directed Meta's efforts to conceal from children the serious

mental health risks of using Facebook and Instagram.

The plaintiffs called Meta's billionaire co-founder the

"guiding spirit" behind alleged concealment efforts, saying he

ignored repeated internal warnings about the risks and publicly

downplayed them.

But the judge found a lack of specifics about what

Zuckerberg did wrong, and said "control of corporate activity

alone is insufficient" to establish liability. Her decision does

not affect related claims against Meta itself.

The plaintiffs brought claims under the laws of 13 U.S.

states: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, New

York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas,

Virginia and Wisconsin.

Previn Warren, a partner at Motley Rice representing the

plaintiffs, said on Friday his clients will continue gathering

evidence "to uncover the truth about how Big Tech has knowingly

prioritized profits over the safety of our children."

The 25 lawsuits are among several hundred by children, their

families and school districts seeking damages from Meta,

Alphabet's Google, ByteDance's TikTok and Snap's

Snapchat over social media addiction.

Dozens of U.S. state attorneys general are pursuing similar

cases against Meta, linking its social media platforms to

anxiety, depression, insomnia, and interference with education

and daily life.

The case is In re Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal

Injury Products Liability Litigation, U.S. District Court,

Northern District of California, No. 22-md-03047.