A mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, two years ago left 21 people dead, mostly elementary school children. Following this incident, the victims’ families launched a lawsuit against Meta and Call of Duty’s publisher, Activision Blizzard. The lawsuit alleges that Meta’s Instagram and the popular Call of Duty game series helped market the gun used in the attack.
Reason for lawsuit: “Call of Duty encourages young people to violence, and Instagram allows gun manufacturers to reach young people easily.”
Plaintiffs argue that weapons manufacturer Daniel Defense reaches young people using Instagram, while Activision’s games encourage violence in young men. Meta has been accused of not properly moderating its platforms.
Although Meta does not allow direct gun ads, it does allow companies to create profiles on Facebook and Instagram and share positive content about their products, which increases user engagement.
Such cases show that lawsuits against video game companies for violent incidents are rarely successful. Critics argue that violent games desensitize players and make them prone to violence in the real world.
However, there is considerable debate among researchers about the validity of such claims. Courts often rule in favor of game developers, citing First Amendment protections and the lack of a direct connection between the game and actual violence.
Good news for Call of Duty fans, PS4 and Xbox One owners!
It has been revealed through leaked information that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will come to PS4 and Xbox One as well as the new generation consoles.
With the lawsuits, the responsibilities of technology and game companies in social events came to the fore again. What are you thinking? Please don’t forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.