OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA / RankWire.AI / – A U.S. appeals court has permitted over 3,000 federal lawsuits concerning alleged social media addiction to move forward. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected appeals submitted by Meta Platforms and TikTok on August 10. These companies challenged previous court decisions that allowed the cases to proceed. The appellate court stated that they sought review prematurely. In Oakland, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is managing the consolidated federal cases.
The core issue involves Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. Meta and TikTok claimed the law protected them from claims related to warnings about their platforms’ alleged addictiveness. The court of appeals clarified that Section 230 offers a defense against liability, not complete immunity from lawsuits. This interpretation prevented an immediate appeal at this stage. The court maintained earlier orders from the federal trial court without ruling on whether the companies are ultimately liable.
The plaintiffs include individuals, families, school districts, municipalities, and states. They accuse Meta, Google (a subsidiary of Alphabet), ByteDance’s TikTok, and Snap of designing platforms that promote compulsive use among young users. The lawsuits link these design choices to issues such as depression, anxiety, body image concerns, and other harms. The companies deny these allegations. The plaintiffs are seeking damages, penalties, and restitution in the federal cases. Additionally, about 3,300 similar cases are consolidated in California state court.
Meta faces separate trial in Oakland as proceedings continue
The appeals court also denied Meta’s request to delay a different case brought by 29 state attorneys general. Jury selection is set to begin on August 12 in Oakland, with opening statements scheduled for August 18. The states accuse Meta of unlawfully collecting and using data from children. They also allege that Facebook and Instagram used features that fostered compulsive use, and that Meta misled consumers about platform safety. Meta has denied these claims in the multistate lawsuit.
This trial involves claims under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and various state consumer protection laws. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey also have state law claims scheduled for the case. A federal judge previously dismissed Meta’s attempt to dismiss the case before trial. The court found factual issues that required further proceedings. Four states have submitted calculations seeking significant penalties if they win. Meta has challenged these calculations and their legal basis.
Other legal actions highlight ongoing social media litigation
These federal cases follow several major court rulings related to youth safety and platform design. On August 6, a judge in New Mexico ordered Meta to allocate $567 million for a youth mental health fund and related initiatives. The court also mandated safety measures for Facebook and Instagram for five years. This came after a New Mexico jury imposed a $375 million civil penalty in March. These two decisions together pose a financial risk of $942 million for Meta in that case.
In another case, a Los Angeles jury found against Meta and Google in March. The jury determined that both companies were negligent in designing Instagram and YouTube. They awarded $6 million to a young woman who claimed she developed an addiction to the platforms as a child and suffered mental health issues. TikTok and Snap settled with her before trial on undisclosed terms. Meta and Google announced plans to appeal the California verdict.