Two years ago, 21 people, mostly elementary school children, were killed in a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. In the aftermath, the families of the victims took legal action against Meta and Activision Blizzard, publisher of Call of Duty. The lawsuit alleges that Meta’s Instagram and the popular Call of Duty game series helped market the weapon used in the attack.

“Call of Duty encourages youth violence, Instagram gives gun manufacturers easy access to young people”

The plaintiffs argue that gun manufacturer Daniel Defense uses Instagram to reach young people, while Activision’s games encourage violence in young men. Meta is accused of failing to properly police its platforms.

While Meta does not allow direct gun advertising, it does allow companies to create profiles on Facebook and Instagram to post positive content about their products, which increases user engagement.

Such cases show that lawsuits against video game companies over violent incidents are rarely successful. Critics argue that violent games desensitize players and make them prone to violence in the real world.

But 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 link between gaming and real-world violence.

With the lawsuits, the responsibilities of technology and gaming companies in social events have come back into the spotlight. What do you think? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.