SAN FRANCISCO: What started as growing concern over young people’s social media habits is now turning into a major legal challenge for some of the world’s biggest technology companies.
A US appeals court on Monday allowed thousands of lawsuits against Meta Platforms, TikTok, Google and Snap to proceed, as parents, schools and government authorities accuse the companies of designing platforms that can encourage addictive use among children and teenagers.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an attempt by Meta and TikTok to immediately challenge a lower court ruling that allows more than 3,000 federal lawsuits to continue. The court said the companies’ appeal was premature because the lower court had not issued a final judgment.
The companies had sought protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which generally shields online platforms from liability for content posted by users. They argued that the provision should also protect them from claims that they failed to warn users about the potentially addictive nature of their platforms.
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The appeals court, however, ruled that Section 230 provides a defence against liability rather than immunity from lawsuits, meaning the companies could not use it to halt the litigation at this stage.
The court also rejected Meta’s request to postpone a separate trial scheduled to begin Wednesday. The case, brought by attorneys general from 29 US states, accuses Meta of collecting and using children’s data, designing its platforms to keep young users engaged and misleading consumers about their safety.
The latest development comes shortly after a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a teen mental health fund after finding that the company had created a public nuisance in the state. The ruling also requires Meta to introduce measures aimed at improving youth safety.
A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on Monday’s ruling, while TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Attorneys Lexi Hazam and Previn Warren, who represent thousands of school districts and individuals involved in the federal litigation, welcomed the decision.
“A trial is how the public finds out what Meta knew about its products’ impact on children, when it knew it, and what it chose to do with that knowledge,” the attorneys said.
The lawsuits have been filed by states, municipalities, school districts and individuals who accuse social media companies of intentionally designing their platforms to encourage excessive use among young people.
Plaintiffs allege that such practices have contributed to problems including depression, anxiety and body-image concerns, forming part of a wider debate over the impact of social media on youth mental health.
The federal cases have been consolidated before US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California. Plaintiffs are seeking damages, penalties and other forms of compensation.
The technology companies are also facing hundreds of similar lawsuits in state courts, including around 3,300 cases consolidated in California.
The latest ruling adds to a series of legal challenges facing the technology industry over youth safety.
In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent in a case alleging that their platforms were designed in ways that harmed young users. The jury awarded $6 million to a young woman who said she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child.
With thousands of cases now moving forward, the companies are likely to face increasing scrutiny over how their platforms are designed, marketed and operated, particularly when it comes to their impact on children and teenagers.
