Key facts
- A U.S. appeals court allowed thousands of lawsuits against Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap to proceed.
- The companies argued Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields them from claims of addictive platform design.
- The court found the appeal was brought too early to be reviewed.
- Lawsuits allege social media companies intentionally addicted young users, contributing to mental health crises.
- A separate jury found Meta and Google negligent in a trial over harm to young people.
- Meta was also found liable in a New Mexico case for misleading users about platform safety.
A U.S. appeals court on Monday allowed thousands of lawsuits to move forward against social media companies, including Meta Platforms, Alphabet's Google, ByteDance's TikTok, and Snap Inc, over claims that their platforms are designed to be addictive to young users. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco rejected the companies' attempt to reverse a lower court's ruling that would have forced them to face approximately 2,400 federal lawsuits.
The tech companies had argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which generally shields them from liability for user-generated content, should also protect them from allegations concerning the addictive nature of their platforms. However, the appeals court judges indicated during oral arguments that the appeal was premature, suggesting that such issues should be reviewed after a trial has concluded.
The lawsuits, filed by various entities including states, municipalities, school districts, and individuals, allege that social media companies intentionally fostered addiction in young users, contributing to increased rates of depression, anxiety, body-image issues, and a broader youth mental health crisis. Plaintiffs argued that Section 230 does not apply to claims about product design and operation.
These cases have been consolidated before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. The companies appealed her 2023 and 2024 orders that largely permitted the litigation to proceed. In a separate development, a Los Angeles jury in March found Meta and Google negligent in a test case, awarding $6 million to a young woman who claimed addiction to Instagram and YouTube. Additionally, Meta was found liable in a New Mexico case and ordered to pay $375 million, with the judge considering further penalties and platform changes.