OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA / RankWire.AI / – In a significant legal development, a U.S. appeals court has authorized more than 3,000 federal lawsuits related to social media addiction to move forward. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the appeals from Meta Platforms and TikTok on Aug. 10. These companies challenged lower court rulings that permitted the lawsuits to continue, but the appeals court determined their appeal was premature. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers manages the consolidated federal cases in Oakland.
At the core of the dispute lies partly Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. Meta and TikTok argued that this law provided them protection from claims related to warnings about their platforms being potentially addictive. The court clarified that Section 230 offers a defense against liability but does not grant immunity from being sued, preventing an immediate appeal at this point. The decision maintained earlier orders from the federal trial court without making a ruling on whether the companies are ultimately liable.
The plaintiffs comprise individuals, families, school districts, municipalities, and states. They accuse Meta, Alphabet’s Google, ByteDance’s TikTok, and Snap of designing products intended to foster compulsive use among young users. The lawsuits connect these alleged design strategies to issues such as depression, anxiety, body image concerns, and other damages. The defendants deny the allegations. The plaintiffs are seeking damages, penalties, and restitution in the federal cases. Additionally, around 3,300 similar cases involving comparable claims have been consolidated in California state court.
Meta faces a separate case in Oakland that advances independently
The appeals court also dismissed Meta’s motion to delay a different case filed by 29 state attorneys general. Jury selection in this case is set to start on Aug. 12 in Oakland, with opening statements scheduled for Aug. 18. The states accuse Meta of unlawfully collecting and using children’s data. They further allege Facebook and Instagram promoted features that encouraged compulsive engagement, and that Meta misled consumers regarding the safety of its platforms. Meta has denied the allegations in this multistate lawsuit.
This trial involves claims under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act along with multiple state consumer protection statutes. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey also have their own state law claims scheduled for trial. A federal judge previously rejected Meta’s attempt to dismiss the case before trial, citing factual disputes that require further investigation. Four states have submitted calculations seeking substantial penalties if they succeed, while Meta disputes both the calculations and their legal foundation.
Preceding rulings expand social media litigation landscape
These federal lawsuits come amid several prominent court decisions concerning 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 protocols for Facebook and Instagram for a period of five years. This ruling followed a March judgment that fined Meta $375 million in civil penalties from a New Mexico jury. The combined financial exposure for Meta in this case amounts to $942 million.
Additionally, in March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent in a separate social media case involving Instagram and YouTube. The jury awarded $6 million to a young woman who claimed she became addicted to these platforms as a child, leading to mental health issues. TikTok and Snap settled with the plaintiff before the trial on undisclosed terms, while Meta and Google have announced plans to appeal the California verdict.