US appeals court has cleared thousands of lawsuits accusing the biggest social media companies of harming young people to move towards trial, in a ruling that chips away at the legal shield the tech industry has relied on for decades.
On 10 August 2026, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected attempts by Meta and TikTok to have the claims thrown out, and its reasoning could reshape how courts treat the sector.
At the heart of the case is Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the provision that has long protected online platforms from liability for content their users post.
Writing for the panel, Judge Jacqueline Nguyen concluded in a 24-page opinion that the statute offers “a defense against liability, not blanket immunity from being sued.”
The distinction is subtle but consequential, because it means the companies can no longer count on early dismissal.
