Meta, TikTok and Google lose appeal bid as thousands of addiction lawsuits move forward

A U.S. appeals court in San Francisco has rejected an attempt by Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and Google to dismiss thousands of lawsuits accusing them of deliberately designing products to be addictive for minors. The ruling clears the way for the consolidated federal case to proceed on its merits rather than being thrown out early.

The platforms invoked Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which typically shields publishers from liability for user-generated content. They argued the provision also relieved them of any duty to warn the public about addictive design features. The court disagreed, noting the appeal was premature, as such motions are normally considered only after a trial concludes.

The lawsuits were brought by private individuals, state and local governments, and school districts, and have been merged into a single federal action. Plaintiffs allege the companies knowingly employed psychological tactics to keep children and teenagers engaged, resulting in widespread mental health harm.

The final outcome remains uncertain, but precedent is already stacking up against the industry. Meta has lost two similar cases, marking the first time a jury held a platform liable over child safety concerns. Those risks now extend across the major social media business, including services owned by Google and China's ByteDance.