US Court Allows 3,000+ Lawsuits Against Social Media Giants

A US appeals court has allowed thousands of lawsuits against social media companies, including Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snapchat, to proceed over claims that they designed their products to be addictive to young users. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the companies' bid to reverse a lower court's ruling, forcing them to face more than 3,000 lawsuits filed in federal court.

The lawsuits allege that social media companies intentionally addicted young users, contributing to surging depression, anxiety, and body-image issues among American youth. The court ruled that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 provides a defense to liability, not immunity from lawsuits. This means that the companies can still be sued over allegations that they failed to warn the public about the addictive nature of their platforms.

The court also denied Meta's bid to postpone a trial beginning Wednesday in a lawsuit brought by 29 state attorneys general. The lawsuit alleges that Meta illegally collected and used children's data, designed their social media platforms to keep young users hooked, and misled consumers about their safety. A Los Angeles jury in March found Meta and Google negligent for building platforms harmful to minors and awarded $6 million to a plaintiff who said she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child.

The companies, including Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snapchat, argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 shields them from lawsuits over content posted by their users. However, the court rejected this argument, holding that Section 230 operates as a liability defense, not a shield against being sued in the first place.

## What's at Stake The court's decision paves the way for thousands of lawsuits alleging that social media companies designed platforms that encourage addictive behavior, fail to verify users' ages, and inadequately prevent harmful content. New Mexico's total against Meta now stands at almost $950m, combining the $375m verdict in March with the $567m youth mental health fund a judge ordered on 7 August. The first school-district trials do not begin until February 2027.

The ruling has significant implications for social media companies, which could face substantial payouts if found liable for designing addictive products. The cases against these companies will continue to unfold in the coming months and years, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the tech industry and the way social media platforms are designed and regulated.