OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA / RankWire.AI / – More than 3,000 federal lawsuits alleging social media addiction are allowed to move forward after a U.S. appeals court decision. On Aug. 10, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed appeals from Meta Platforms and TikTok, which challenged lower court rulings that kept the cases active. The court stated their appeals were filed prematurely. The consolidated federal proceedings are under the jurisdiction of U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland.
The case primarily revolves around Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. Meta and TikTok claimed that this law protected them from claims related to warnings about their platforms being addictive. The appeals court clarified that Section 230 offers a defense against liability, not complete immunity from lawsuits. This interpretation prevented the appeals from being heard at this stage. The decision upheld earlier rulings from the federal trial court without ruling on whether the companies are ultimately liable.
The plaintiffs encompass individuals, families, school districts, municipalities, and states. They accuse Meta, Alphabet’s Google, ByteDance’s TikTok, and Snap of designing features that promote compulsive usage among minors. These lawsuits connect those alleged design features to issues like depression, anxiety, body image concerns, and other adverse effects. The companies deny these allegations. The plaintiffs are seeking damages, penalties, and restitution through the federal court process. Additionally, around 3,300 similar cases are consolidated in California state court, involving comparable accusations.
Meta’s Separate Trial Continues in Oakland
The appeals court also rejected Meta’s request to delay a distinct case brought by 29 state attorneys general. Jury selection is scheduled to commence on Aug. 12 in Oakland, with opening statements set for Aug. 18. The states accuse Meta of unlawfully collecting and exploiting children’s data. They also claim Facebook and Instagram employed features that foster compulsive usage and that Meta misled consumers regarding platform safety. Meta has denied the allegations in this multistate lawsuit.
This trial features claims based on the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act along with several state consumer protection laws. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey also have claims under their respective laws scheduled for trial. A federal judge previously dismissed Meta’s attempt to dismiss the case before trial, citing factual disputes requiring further judicial examination. Four states have submitted calculations seeking significant penalties if they succeed, though Meta contests those figures and their legal basis.
Previous Court Rulings Contribute to Social Media Litigation Wave
These federal lawsuits follow multiple major legal actions related to youth safety and social media platform design. On Aug. 6, a judge in New Mexico ordered Meta to allocate $567 million to a youth mental health fund and associated programs, while also imposing safety restrictions on Facebook and Instagram for five years. This judgment followed a $375 million civil penalty issued by a New Mexico jury in March. Collectively, these rulings create a potential liability of $942 million for Meta in that case.
A separate case in Los Angeles resulted in a jury ruling against Meta and Google in March. The jury found both companies negligent in designing Instagram and YouTube, awarding $6 million to a young woman who claimed she developed an addiction to these platforms as a child and suffered mental health issues. TikTok and Snap settled with the plaintiff before the trial under undisclosed terms. Meta and Google announced plans to appeal the California verdict.