OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA / RankWire.AI / – More than 3,000 consolidated federal cases against social media giants Meta and TikTok can proceed in court, as the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed an early challenge on Aug. 10. The 9th Circuit ruling leaves these lawsuits before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, with plaintiffs accusing the platforms of designing features that foster compulsive usage and contribute to mental health issues among children and teens.
Meta and TikTok attempted to secure an immediate appellate review concerning decisions related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The appeals court clarified that Section 230 serves as a defense against liability rather than granting immunity from lawsuits. Consequently, the court determined the companies cannot pursue an appeal at this point. The ruling does not decide whether Section 230 will ultimately bar the claims but permits the ongoing federal proceedings based on the current orders issued by the trial court.
The case involves claims from families, individuals, educational institutions, cities, and state governments. Additionally, plaintiffs have filed suits against Alphabet’s Google, owner of YouTube, and Snap, which runs Snapchat. The accusations assert that these social media companies incorporated features that encouraged repeated engagement among young users, with complaints linking these practices to depression, anxiety, body image issues, and other mental health concerns. Both companies have denied the allegations. Furthermore, approximately 3,300 related cases remain consolidated in California state court.
States file separate legal action against Meta
Meta is also the defendant in a distinct federal lawsuit initiated by 29 state attorneys general. Jury selection for this case is scheduled for Aug. 12 in Oakland, with the trial set to begin on Aug. 17. The states accuse Meta of unlawfully collecting and utilizing children’s personal information. They further allege that Facebook and Instagram incorporated features that foster compulsive use among minors and that Meta misled consumers regarding safety protections on its platforms. Meta has denied any misconduct.
Claims are brought under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and various state consumer protection statutes. In addition, California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey have separate state law claims in the case. A federal judge previously declined to dismiss the case prior to trial, citing unresolved disputes requiring further proceedings. Several states have submitted calculations seeking financial penalties if they prevail, though Meta disputes both those figures and the legal basis for the amounts requested.
Landmark decisions expand youth safety litigation
Major rulings have already emerged from the broader social media legal battles. On Aug. 6, a judge in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a youth mental health fund and related initiatives, along with imposing safety requirements on Facebook and Instagram for five years. Earlier, a New Mexico jury had levied a $375 million civil penalty in March. These rulings combined to expose Meta to a total of $942 million in potential financial liabilities within the state case.
In another case, a jury in Los Angeles found Meta and Google negligent in a separate social media addiction lawsuit, awarding $6 million to the plaintiff. The jurors concluded that the design of Instagram and YouTube contributed to addiction and mental health problems, with the plaintiff claiming childhood use of these platforms caused harm. TikTok and Snap settled with the plaintiff before trial under undisclosed terms. Both Meta and Google announced their intentions to appeal the verdict.