A U.S. appeals court rejected Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and Google’s attempt to use Section 230 to fend off thousands of lawsuits alleging their platforms were intentionally designed to addict minors.
San Francisco’s 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the companies’ bid to shield themselves from the claims, Reuters reported.
The companies argued that Section 230, a law that protects publishers and platforms from liability for users’ posts, should also protect them against claims that they failed to warn the public about addictive design choices.
The court rejected that argument and said the appeal may have come too early, because that type of appeal usually follows a trial.
The lawsuits were brought by private individuals, state and local governments, and school districts. The cases have been consolidated into a single federal proceeding and will move forward together.
Meta has already lost two lawsuits over similar issues, marking the first time the company was held liable in jury trials over child safety concerns.
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