US Court Allows 3,000 Social Media Lawsuits

Core News & Key Facts

A US federal appeals court has cleared the way for more than 3,000 lawsuits against major social media companies, including Meta, Google, TikTok and Snapchat. The lawsuits accuse the companies of deliberately designing platforms with addictive features that can harm children and teenagers.

The San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the companies’ attempt to stop the litigation before trials. The court ruled that their appeal was premature because most appeals are normally filed after a case has reached a final ruling or verdict.

The companies had argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protected them from lawsuits claiming they failed to warn users about the potentially addictive nature of their platform designs. The appeals court disagreed, saying Section 230 provides a defence against liability but does not give platforms blanket immunity from being sued.

Context & Statements

One significant case is scheduled to begin on Wednesday. Meta is facing a trial brought by 29 state attorneys general, who allege that the company unlawfully collected and used children's data, engineered its platforms to keep young users engaged and misled the public about safety.

The wider lawsuits have been filed by US states, municipalities, school districts and individual families. They allege that social media companies knowingly developed addictive products that contributed to rising levels of depression, anxiety and other mental health problems among young people.

The cases have been consolidated before US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California. Plaintiffs are seeking damages, penalties and restitution.

There has already been a major courtroom setback for the technology companies. A Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent in the first such case to reach trial and awarded $6 million to a 20-year-old woman who said she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child.

Impact & What's Next

The ruling comes amid growing international concern about the effects of social media on minors. France plans restrictions on social media access for children under 15, while Australia has already introduced a ban affecting younger users. Britain is also considering similar measures.

Meta has separately faced major legal consequences in New Mexico. A jury ordered the company to pay $375 million over misleading safety claims, followed by an additional $567 million penalty imposed by a judge after finding that the company had created a public nuisance.

The latest US appeals court decision does not determine whether the companies are ultimately liable. Instead, it allows the lawsuits to proceed through the legal process and potentially reach trials and final judgments. The cases could therefore become an important test of how US law treats the responsibility of technology companies for the design and safety of platforms used by children.