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 dispute centers partly on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. Meta and TikTok argued the law shielded them from claims tied to warnings about allegedly addictive platforms. The appeals court said Section 230 provides a defense against liability, rather than immunity from being sued. That distinction prevented an immediate appeal at this stage. The ruling left earlier orders from the federal trial court in place without deciding whether the companies ultimately bear liability.
Plaintiffs include individuals, families, school districts, municipalities and states. They accuse Meta, Alphabet’s Google, ByteDance’s TikTok and Snap of designing products that encouraged compulsive use among young people. The lawsuits link those alleged design choices to depression, anxiety, body image problems and other harms. The companies have disputed the claims. Plaintiffs seek damages, penalties and restitution in the federal proceedings. About 3,300 additional cases involving similar allegations are consolidated in California state court.
Separate Meta trial moves ahead in Oakland
The appeals court also rejected Meta’s request to postpone a separate case brought by 29 state attorneys general. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Aug. 12 in Oakland, with opening statements scheduled for Aug. 18. The states accuse Meta of unlawfully collecting and using children’s data. They also allege Facebook and Instagram used features that encouraged compulsive use and that Meta misled consumers about platform safety. Meta has denied the allegations in the multistate case.
The trial includes claims under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and several state consumer protection laws. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey also have state law claims scheduled for the proceeding. A federal judge previously rejected Meta’s effort to end the case before trial. The court found factual disputes that required further proceedings. Four states have presented calculations seeking substantial penalties if they prevail, while Meta has challenged those calculations and their legal basis.
Earlier rulings add to social media litigation
The federal cases follow several major court actions involving youth safety and social media platform design. On Aug. 6, a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to provide $567 million for a youth mental health fund and related programs. The court also imposed safety measures for Facebook and Instagram for five years. That judgment followed a $375 million civil penalty imposed by a New Mexico jury in March. Together, the two decisions created $942 million in financial exposure for Meta in that case.
A Los Angeles jury also ruled against Meta and Google in March in a separate social media case. Jurors found both companies negligent over the design of Instagram and YouTube and awarded $6 million to a young woman. She alleged that she became addicted to the platforms as a child and suffered mental health harm. TikTok and Snap settled with that plaintiff before trial on undisclosed terms. Meta and Google have said they will appeal the California verdict.