Thousands of lawsuits accusing some of the world's biggest social media companies of designing platforms that keep young users hooked can now move forward after a U.S. appeals court rejected an attempt to halt the litigation.
In a significant setback for Meta, TikTok, Google and Snapchat, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the companies cannot use an early appeal to avoid facing claims brought by states, municipalities, school districts, parents and individuals who argue that social media products were intentionally designed to be addictive.
At the heart of the dispute is whether technology companies can rely on protections contained in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a law that generally shields online platforms from liability for content posted by users.
The companies argued that those protections should also prevent lawsuits alleging they failed to warn users about potentially addictive features built into their products. The appeals court disagreed with their approach, finding that the issue could not be used to stop the cases at this stage.
The lawsuits are not primarily centred on content posted by users. Instead, they target the way social media platforms are designed and operated.
Plaintiffs allege that companies deliberately created features intended to maximise engagement among children and teenagers, encouraging excessive use and contributing to rising rates of anxiety, depression, body image concerns and other mental health challenges.
The cases seek damages and other penalties and have been consolidated before a federal court in California, where more than 3,000 claims are being handled together.
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs described the ruling as an important step towards public scrutiny of internal company practices.
They argue that a trial could reveal what social media companies knew about the effects of their platforms on young users and how they responded to that information.
The decision comes at a particularly difficult moment for Meta.
The appeals court also rejected the company's request to delay a trial brought by 29 U.S. state attorneys general. That case alleges Meta collected and used children's data improperly, misled consumers about safety measures and designed its platforms in ways that encouraged compulsive use among young people.
The trial is scheduled to proceed this week.
Meta has not publicly commented on the latest ruling, while TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The latest court decision adds to mounting legal and regulatory pressure on technology companies over the effects of social media on younger users.
Earlier this year, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent in a closely watched case involving a young woman who said she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child. The jury awarded her $6 million in damages.
Meanwhile, a New Mexico court recently ordered Meta to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to a youth mental health fund and implement additional safety measures after finding the company had created a public nuisance in the state.
Meta and Google have denied wrongdoing and said they intend to challenge those decisions.
With the appeals court removing a key procedural obstacle, the broader litigation is now moving into a new phase.
The outcome could help determine how far technology companies can be held responsible not just for the content hosted on their platforms, but for the design choices that shape how millions of young people interact with social media every day.
As the cases move closer to trial, they are expected to become one of the most closely watched legal tests of the relationship between social media use and youth mental health.
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