Meta and TikTok fail to halt thousands of social media addiction lawsuits

A San Francisco-based federal appeals court has dismissed Meta and TikTok's attempts to halt thousands of social media addiction lawsuits from proceeding in the US. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the companies could not use Section 230, a US law that protects online platforms from some claims involving content posted by users, to stop the cases from moving forward.

The lawsuits, brought by individuals, school districts, US states, and local authorities, accuse Meta, Google, TikTok, Snap, and other companies of using features designed to keep children and teenagers engaged, contributing to addiction, depression, anxiety, and other problems. The court also rejected Meta's bid to delay a separate case brought by 29 US state attorneys general, with jury selection set to begin on Wednesday.

The legal battles come as governments around the world tighten rules on children's access to social media, citing concerns over addictive features, harmful content, and weak age checks.

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