BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 10. A US appeals court has allowed thousands of lawsuits against major social media companies to move forward over allegations that their platforms were deliberately designed to be addictive to young users.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an attempt by Meta Platforms, Google, TikTok and other companies to overturn a lower-court decision requiring them to face about 2,400 lawsuits filed in federal court.
The companies also include Snap, which operates Snapchat. They argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides certain legal protections for content posted by users, should also protect them from claims concerning the allegedly addictive design of their platforms.
The appeals court did not rule on the merits of that argument, instead finding that the companies had appealed the lower-court decision too early. Judges said such issues are generally reviewed after a trial has concluded.
The lawsuits were filed by US states, municipalities, school districts and individuals. They allege that social media companies intentionally encouraged addictive use among young people, contributing to increased depression, anxiety, body-image problems and a broader youth mental health crisis.
Hundreds of additional cases involving similar allegations are also pending in state courts, including about 3,300 cases consolidated in California.
The legal battle gained further attention in March when a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent in designing platforms that harmed young users and awarded $6 million to a woman who said she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child.
The companies have denied the allegations and said they would appeal relevant rulings.
