OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA / RankWire.AI / – A U.S. appeals court has allowed more than 3,000 federal lawsuits over alleged social media addiction to proceed. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected appeals from Meta Platforms and TikTok on Aug. 10. The companies challenged lower court orders that kept the litigation moving. The appeals court said they sought review too early. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers oversees the consolidated federal proceedings in Oakland.
The case involves a dispute partly centered on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. Meta and TikTok argued that this law protected them from claims related to warnings about their platforms allegedly being addictive. The appeals court clarified that Section 230 offers a defense against liability, not complete immunity from lawsuits. This interpretation prevented an immediate appeal at this stage. The decision upheld 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, Alphabet’s Google, ByteDance’s TikTok, and Snap of designing platforms that promote compulsive usage among young users. The lawsuits connect these alleged design choices to depression, anxiety, body image issues, and other harms. The companies deny these allegations. Plaintiffs are seeking damages, penalties, and restitution in the federal case. Additionally, about 3,300 similar cases with comparable claims are consolidated in California state court.
Meta Faces Separate Trial in Oakland Moving Forward
The appeals court also dismissed Meta’s request to delay a separate lawsuit initiated by 29 state attorneys general. Jury selection is set to start on Aug. 12 in Oakland, with opening statements scheduled for Aug. 18. The states accuse Meta of unlawfully collecting and utilizing children’s data. They also allege that Facebook and Instagram used features encouraging compulsive use and that Meta misled consumers regarding platform safety. Meta has denied these claims in the multistate case.
This trial involves claims made under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act as well as multiple state consumer protection laws. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey have additional state law claims scheduled for the trial. A federal judge previously rejected Meta’s motion to dismiss the case before trial, citing factual disputes requiring further proceedings. Four states have submitted calculations seeking significant penalties if they succeed, while Meta contests both those figures and their legal basis.
Previous Legal Rulings Contribute to the Growing Social Media Litigation
These federal lawsuits follow several key court rulings related to youth safety and social media platform design. On Aug. 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 judgment followed a $375 million civil penalty imposed by a New Mexico jury in March. Altogether, these decisions expose Meta to a total financial liability of $942 million in that case.
In a separate case, a Los Angeles jury ruled against Meta and Google in March. The jury found both companies negligent in designing Instagram and YouTube, awarding $6 million to a young woman. She claimed she became addicted to the platforms as a child and suffered mental health issues. TikTok and Snap reached undisclosed settlement agreements with the plaintiff before trial. Both Meta and Google have announced their intention to appeal the California verdict.