US court rules Meta, other tech firms must face thousands of lawsuits over social media addiction

A U.S. appeals court on Monday allowed thousands of social media addiction lawsuits to move forward against Meta, Google, TikTok and Snapchat, ruling the platforms were designed to be addictive to young users.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the companies' bid to overturn a lower court decision, saying their appeal came too early.

Why did the court reject the social media addiction lawsuits appeal?

The court ruled that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act offers a legal defense, not full immunity from lawsuits.

Meta and TikTok had argued the law barred claims accusing them of failing to warn users about addictive design. Judges said companies must wait until litigation ends before challenging such rulings through an appeal.

What is Meta's trial over children's data set to begin?

The appeals court also denied Meta's request to delay a trial starting Wednesday. Twenty-nine state attorneys general allege the company illegally collected children's data and designed its platforms to keep young users engaged. They also claim Meta misled the public about safety.

Meta argued the trial should wait until its appeal was resolved. Judges disagreed, allowing the state case to proceed on schedule. The decision means Meta faces courtroom scrutiny this week even as its broader appeal effort has failed.

What other penalties has Meta faced recently?

Monday's ruling follows a costly stretch for Meta. A New Mexico judge ruled last week that the company created a public nuisance in the state, ordering it to pay $567 million into a teen mental health fund and adopt youth-safety measures.

That penalty followed an earlier phase of the same case, in which a jury in March ordered Meta to pay $375 million for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms. Meta has said it will appeal both rulings.

How have plaintiffs and attorneys reacted?

Attorneys representing school districts and individuals suing Meta welcomed the ruling. Lexi Hazam and Previn Warren said in a statement that it clears the way for the states' trial and a separate school district trial scheduled for February.

The lawyers said a trial is how the public will learn what Meta knew about its products' effects on children and when it knew it. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment, and TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

How many lawsuits are tech companies facing over social media addiction?

More than 3,000 lawsuits filed by states, municipalities, school districts and individuals are centralized before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California. The suits accuse social media companies of intentionally designing addictive products that fuelled rising depression, anxiety and body-image issues among young users.

Plaintiffs argued the lower court ruling was not final and could not yet be appealed. They also rejected the companies' Section 230 defense, saying it does not shield decisions about how platforms are designed and operated. The companies had already appealed Judge Rogers' 2023 and 2024 orders allowing most of the litigation to continue.

A parallel track of roughly 3,300 lawsuits is proceeding in a consolidated California state court case. In the first trial to reach a verdict, a Los Angeles jury in March found Meta and Google negligent for designing platforms that harmed young people, awarding $6 million to a woman who said she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child.

What happens next in the litigation?

Both Meta and Google have denied the allegations against them and said they intend to appeal. Meanwhile, the federal case moves toward the state attorneys general trial this week and a school district trial in February.

The rulings this month, from the 9th Circuit's decision to the New Mexico verdict, point to sustained legal pressure on social media companies over claims their platforms harmed children. Courts have so far let most of these cases proceed to trial rather than dismissing them early.