Social media platforms still facing thousands of user addiction lawsuits after failed appeals

The social media giants, including Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and Google, are bracing themselves for a lengthy legal battle over allegations that they knowingly designed their products to be addictive to younger users. According to a report by Reuters, the San Francisco’s 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the platforms' effort to fend off the multitude of lawsuits through an argument based on Section 230.

This section of the Communications Decency Act shields publishers and platforms from being held responsible for content posted by their users. The companies claimed that Section 230 could also shield them from accusations of failing to warn the public about their addictive design features. However, the court argued that this appeal was premature, as such appeals typically follow a trial rather than precede one.

These thousands of lawsuits, filed by private individuals, state and local governments, and school districts, have been consolidated into a single federal case and are now set to proceed as such. While it remains uncertain how these addictive design lawsuits will ultimately unfold, Meta has already lost two similar cases so far, marking the first time the platform has been found liable for child safety issues in jury trials.