OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA / RankWire.AI / – Thousands of lawsuits accusing major social media companies of fueling harmful and addictive use among young people can continue in federal court. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an early appeal from Meta Platforms and TikTok on Aug. 10. The ruling leaves more than 3,000 consolidated federal cases before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. Plaintiffs allege that platform design features encouraged compulsive use and contributed to mental health problems among children and teenagers.
Meta, TikTok, Google and Snap face growing litigation over youth social media use.
Meta and TikTok sought immediate appellate review of lower court decisions involving Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The appeals court said Section 230 operates as a defense against liability, not as immunity from facing a lawsuit. As a result, the court found that the companies could not pursue the appeal at this stage. The decision did not determine whether Section 230 will ultimately block any claims. It instead allowed the federal proceedings to continue under the existing trial court orders.
The litigation includes claims from families, individuals, school systems, cities and state governments. Plaintiffs have also sued Alphabet’s Google, which owns YouTube, and Snap, which operates Snapchat. They argue that social media companies built features that promoted repeated engagement by young users. The complaints cite alleged links to depression, anxiety, body image concerns and other mental health harms. The companies have contested the allegations. About 3,300 related cases also remain consolidated in California state court.
States pursue separate case against Meta
Meta also faces a separate federal case brought by 29 state attorneys general. Jury selection in that proceeding is scheduled for Aug. 12 in Oakland. The trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 17. The states accuse Meta of collecting and using children’s personal information unlawfully. They also allege that Facebook and Instagram included features that encouraged compulsive use among minors. The case includes claims that Meta misled consumers about safety protections on its platforms. Meta has denied wrongdoing.
The states have brought claims under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and state consumer protection laws. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey also have state law claims in the case. A federal judge previously declined to end the litigation before trial. The court found disputes that required further proceedings. Several states have presented calculations seeking financial penalties if they prevail. Meta has challenged those calculations and disputed the legal basis for the requested amounts.
Other verdicts expand youth safety cases
The broader social media litigation has already produced major rulings against technology companies. On Aug. 6, a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to provide $567 million for a youth mental health fund and related programs. The order also imposed safety requirements on Facebook and Instagram for five years. A New Mexico jury had earlier imposed a $375 million civil penalty in March. Those decisions produced a combined $942 million in financial exposure for Meta in the state case.
Another jury in Los Angeles ruled against Meta and Google in March in a separate social media addiction lawsuit. Jurors found the companies negligent over the design of Instagram and YouTube and awarded $6 million to the plaintiff. She alleged that childhood use of the platforms led to addiction and mental health harm. TikTok and Snap reached settlements with the plaintiff before trial under undisclosed terms. Meta and Google have said they plan to appeal that verdict.