A U.S. federal appeals court has cleared the way for more than 3,000 lawsuits accusing major social media companies of deliberately designing their platforms to addict children and teenagers.
The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday rejected an attempt by [Meta](https://www.meta.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) and [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) to overturn earlier rulings allowing the cases against them and other technology companies to proceed.
The litigation also includes claims against [Google](https://www.google.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), which owns YouTube, and [Snapchat](https://www.snapchat.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
The companies had argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects them from the lawsuits. The law generally shields online platforms from liability over content posted by their users.
However, the appeals court ruled that Section 230 provides companies with a potential defence against liability rather than immunity from being sued altogether. Because the underlying litigation has not concluded, the judges determined that Meta and TikTok’s appeal was premature.
The ruling allows thousands of cases filed by parents, individuals, school districts, municipalities and state governments to continue.
The plaintiffs allege that social media companies deliberately incorporated addictive features into their platforms to increase engagement among young users, contributing to depression, anxiety, body-image problems and other mental health issues.
They argue that their cases concern how the companies designed and operated their products rather than simply third-party content posted by users, meaning Section 230 should not shield the companies from liability.
The appeals court also rejected Meta’s attempt to delay a separate trial involving 29 state attorneys general. That trial is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
The states accuse Meta of illegally collecting and using children’s personal information, deliberately designing its platforms to keep young people engaged and misleading consumers about potential risks to children.
The latest decision comes only days after a New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a teen mental health fund and introduce additional protections for younger users.
Thousands of related cases have been consolidated before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California. Plaintiffs are seeking damages, financial penalties and restitution from the technology companies.
The companies are also confronting approximately 3,300 similar lawsuits consolidated in California state court.
The legal battle has already produced significant verdicts. In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent over the design of Instagram and YouTube and awarded $6 million to a woman who said she became addicted to the platforms as a child.
Meta was also ordered by a New Mexico jury in March to pay $375 million after jurors concluded that the company had misled consumers about the safety of its platforms in a case involving risks of child sexual exploitation.
Meta and Google have denied allegations against them and have said they intend to appeal adverse rulings.
Attorneys representing thousands of individuals and school districts said Monday’s appeals court decision would allow upcoming trials to examine internal evidence concerning what social media companies knew about the effects their products could have on children and how they responded to those risks.
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