A US appeals court allows thousands of lawsuits accusing major social media companies of harming young users to move forward. The cases target claims that platforms were engineered with addictive features aimed at children or teenagers, and that the companies failed to address the risks.
In the ruling, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejects arguments that a federal liability shield in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act should provide broader protection from these suits. Outlets report that the court says Section 230 is meant to cover content posted by users, not allegations that companies designed platforms to be addictive.
The court also declines to halt litigation at an early stage. Several outlets say the judges reject the companies’ request to reverse a lower-court decision that lets the cases continue, including because the appeal is considered too premature. Coverage notes the companies involved include Meta, Google, TikTok (ByteDance), and Snap (Snapchat), while some reports reference ongoing related proceedings involving Meta and child-safety issues.
