Meta, Google, TikTok and Snap Face 3,000+ US Lawsuits Over Teen Addiction
Synopsis
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals allowed federal litigation to proceed, ruling Section 230 provides a potential liability defence rather than blanket immunity from claims over platform design.
Meta Google TikTok Snap teen addiction lawsuits can proceed after the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the companies cannot halt more than 3,000 related federal cases
The appeals court on August 10 ordered the cases to proceed as they are consolidated in federal court in Oakland, California. They include individuals, school districts, municipalities, and states, who are suing over the alleged design of the social media platforms to be addictive to minors.
Section 230 Defense Rejected at This Stage
The companies asked the appeals court to dismiss the cases due to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which grants immunity from liability to social media platforms for users’ posts.
The court ruled that Section 230 does not provide a defense against claims that the platforms’ business practices intentionally caused addiction, and that the companies’ Section 230 argument was premature for the case at this stage.
The social media addiction cases allege that Meta, Google, Snap, and TikTok have caused anxiety, depression, and body image issues among adolescents.
Meanwhile, about 3,300 similar lawsuits are already ongoing in California state court. In one of the cases, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent and awarded $6 million to a plaintiff. The companies are expected to appeal the verdict.
Meta Faces Additional Youth-Safety Lawsuits
Meta is also being sued by 29 U.S. states, which are separate from the Google TikTok teen addiction lawsuits. The states allege that it exploited children’s data and designed addictive features that encouraged time spent on the platforms by minors.
Meta has set aside $60.80 billion in revenue for the second quarter of 2026, which is a 28% increase from the previous quarter. The company's July 29 earnings release also noted its costs of $2.40 billion for legal proceedings.
In addition, Meta was ordered to pay $567 million and for taking steps to protect children on its platforms. The order was issued after a previous $375 million civil penalty in New Mexico, which takes the total liability for the case to $942 million. The company is set to appeal the ruling.
The U.S. cases are separate from the regulatory actions taken in Australia, where new restrictions for social media use by under-16s come into force on December 10, 2025. They will be enforced by the Australian eSafety Commissioner.
According to the Australian Government’s report published in June, more than 5 million accounts of under-16s have been permanently removed, deactivated, or otherwise restricted since the start of the enforcement.
Source: Reuters
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
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