Tech Firms to Face Thousands of Lawsuits Over Social Media Addiction
· Time
The world’s biggest social media companies are set to face thousands of lawsuits over allegations that they have deliberately made their platforms addictive to young users.
The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday ruled that more than 3,000 lawsuits against Meta, TikTok, Google, Snap, and other tech firms can move forward. The lawsuits were filed by states, municipalities, school districts, and individuals.
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The suits come amid an emerging critique of social media companies’ role in social media addiction and broader mental health crisis among youth. The plaintiffs allege that addictive algorithms and a lack of guardrails around harmful online content have led to a rise in depression, anxiety, and body image issues.
The cases were consolidated before Oakland-based District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who had ruled in 2023 and 2024 that most of the litigation could proceed. Meta and TikTok had appealed the orders, arguing that they are protected from litigation under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. The federal law generally protects companies from liability over content posted by users.
But in a 24-page opinion, Judge Jacqueline Nguyen said the law provides a “defense to liability,” but not wholesale immunity from being sued. Nguyen had expressed skepticism towards that claim in oral arguments in January, suggesting that, “When Congress wants to give immunity from suit, it knows how to say that.” Plaintiffs also argued that the law does not cover claims concerning how companies have intentionally operated and designed their products.
The appeals court ultimately did not rule on whether Section 230 bars those claims, but concluded that the appeal was premature because the trial court’s ruling was not final. Whether Section 230 shields companies from liability over their product design—a defense expected to feature in other litigation against tech firms—could have wider implications for the industry.
The lawsuits will now continue in district court. Plaintiffs are seeking damages, civil penalties, and restitution.
Litigation against social media platforms
Thousands of similar lawsuits have been filed in state courts against many of the same tech firms.
Around 3,300 cases are being managed together in a coordinated proceeding in California state court.
In the first bellwether trial in March, a Los Angeles jury sided with a 20-year-old woman who said she developed depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia after she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child. The jury awarded her $6 million and found Meta and Google negligent in designing their platforms and failing to warn about their risks. TikTok and Snap settled with the plaintiff before trial.
The companies denied the allegations and filed appeals.
Also that month, a jury in New Mexico found that Meta wilfully misled users about the safety of its platforms and enabled child sexual exploitation. The company was ordered to pay $375 million in civil penalties to the state. State District Judge Bryan Biedscheid later ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million and implement safeguards including stricter age verification and usage limits.
Meta denied wrongdoing and intends to appeal.
The trial for another lawsuit brought by 29 states against Meta is set to begin Wednesday. The appeals court on Monday dismissed Meta’s effort to postpone the trial, which centers on allegations that Meta violated federal privacy and state and consumer protection laws by collecting children’s data, utilizing potentially addictive platform features, and making misleading safety representations. Meta denies the allegations.
Growing restrictions on social media
Across the U.S. and around the world, governments are taking other steps towards regulating potentially addictive social media platform features and harmful online content.
In December, Australia became the first country to impose a nation-wide social media ban restricting social media access for children under 16.
Most social media platforms already have a minimum age to register an account, but governments, parents, and child safety advocates argue that these checks are easy to bypass and inadequately enforced.
Several more countries have since followed in Australia’s stead. In February, Spain proposed barring children under 16 from social media, although the bill still requires parliamentary approval. The U.K. announced an under-16 ban for certain platforms that is expected to take effect early next year. Last month, France’s Parliament approved a ban for children under 15, which is now under constitutional review. Other countries across Europe, including Denmark, Greece, and Norway, have discussed similar restrictions.
The European Union also unveiled an age verification app in April in an effort to address privacy and implementation concerns from tech companies around age checks. The European Commission has also discussed E.U.-wide age restrictions for social media.
In Asia, Indonesia began barring children under 16 from making accounts on major social media and gaming platforms in March, citing risks including pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud, and addiction. In June, Malaysia also began requiring platforms to verify users’ ages and prevent children under 16 from making or holding accounts.
Several U.S. states have also pursued age-verification requirements, restrictions on addictive features, and other regulations related to children and social media. At least 20 states have enacted laws addressing young users’ social media usage, although many face legal challenges. In July, Illinois enacted a law prohibiting platforms from using minors’ viewing histories or data on their devices to curate feeds. The law, which will take effect in 2028, also restricts notifications between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. and requires stronger privacy settings for minors. At least 40 states and Puerto Rico considered more than 300 measures related to children and social media during the 2026 legislative session, with 10 states enacting new laws or adopting resolutions.
Measures around the world have faced significant pushback from the tech industry. NetChoice, a trade association representing major tech companies including Meta and TikTok, has challenged state laws on grounds of free speech and privacy. Courts in several states, including Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Nebraska and Virginia, have temporarily or permanently blocked all or parts of laws around online safety. Most of those cases are ongoing. Other states, including Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and South Carolina, also face ongoing litigation over their measures.
Reddit filed a legal challenge to Australia’s ban, arguing that it infringes on the implied constitutional freedom of political communication and that its platform should not be covered by the law.
