A US appeals court has rejected a challenge by Meta and TikTok, allowing wider litigation against major platforms to proceed.
Thousands of lawsuits accusing major social media companies of fueling addiction and harming young users can move forward in the US after a federal appeals court rejected an attempt to halt the litigation.
The San Francisco-based Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed appeals by Meta and TikTok on Monday against earlier rulings that allowed more than 3,000 federal cases to proceed.
The companies sought to challenge the cases under Section 230, a US law that protects online platforms from some claims involving content posted by users.
The appeals court ruled that they could not use the law to stop the cases from moving forward at this stage, saying Section 230 “merely provides a defense to liability – not immunity from suit.” The ruling does not determine whether Meta, TikTok, and other companies are responsible for the alleged harms.
