A U.S. appeals court on Monday cleared the way for thousands of lawsuits against Meta, Google, TikTok and other social media companies over claims their platforms were deliberately designed to be addictive to young users.
The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the companies' attempt to overturn a lower court ruling allowing around 2,400 lawsuits filed in federal court to proceed.
The cases were brought by parents, individuals, states, municipalities and school districts.
They allege that social media companies intentionally designed their platforms to encourage addiction among children and teenagers, contributing to depression, anxiety, body-image problems and a broader mental health crisis among young Americans.
The lawsuits are being coordinated before U.S. District Judge Yvonne González Rogers in Oakland, California, and seek damages, penalties and restitution from the companies.
The companies, including Snap Inc., argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 protects them from the claims.
Section 230 generally shields online platforms from liability for content posted by their users. The companies argued that the protection also extends to allegations concerning the allegedly addictive nature of their products.
The appeals court, however, did not rule on whether Section 230 ultimately protects the companies from the lawsuits. Instead, the judges said the appeal had been brought too early because the lower court's decision was not yet final.
Most appeals are heard after a trial has concluded, allowing appellate judges to review a final decision.
The companies face thousands of additional lawsuits in state courts, including about 3,300 consolidated cases in California.
The legal battle has already produced significant jury verdicts. In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent over the design of platforms that harmed young people, awarding $6 million to a woman who said she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child.
In a separate case that month, Meta was ordered to pay $375 million to New Mexico after a jury found the company had misled users about the safety of its platforms and enabled child sexual exploitation.
Meta has denied the allegations and said it would appeal.
The appeals are expected to focus on whether Section 230 applies to claims concerning the design and operation of social media platforms, a question that could have far-reaching consequences for the wider technology industry.
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