US Court Orders Social Media Giants to Face Addictive Platform Lawsuits

A US appeals court has ruled that Meta Platforms, Google, TikTok, and Snapchat must face thousands of lawsuits alleging their platforms were designed to be addictive for young users. The San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court rejected an appeal made by Meta and TikTok, which sought to overturn a lower court's decision allowing more than 3,000 federal cases to proceed.

The companies argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields them from liability for user content. However, the 9th Circuit disagreed, ruling that this provision offers a defense against liability rather than outright immunity from being sued.

This decision also denied Meta's request to delay a multistate trial brought by 29 state attorneys general. They allege the company illegally collected children's data, designed its platforms to keep young users hooked, and misled consumers about safety. The trial is set to begin on Wednesday.