California · Meta · TikTok · US Congress · Ars Technica
Meta can't stop states' $1.4 trillion suit from going to trial
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 source. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
Meta and TikTok tried to defeat thousands of social media addiction lawsuits in one fell swoop, but an appeals court rejected the attempt in a ruling issued yesterday.
Key facts
- In a 3-0 ruling yesterday, a judges’ panel from the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit rejected the Meta and TikTok claims that they have legal immunity to the lawsuits under Section 230
- A trial in district court is scheduled to start on August 19, with jury selection beginning August 12
- US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers mostly denied a Meta motion to dismiss in an order in October 2024
- In yet another case brought by New Mexico’s attorney general, a state-court judge last week ordered Meta to pay $567 million for youth mental health care and related services to alleviate the “public
Summary
First up among the lawsuits is a case brought against Meta by the California attorney general and other state AGs. In a 3-0 ruling yesterday, a judges’ panel from the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit rejected the Meta and TikTok claims that they have legal immunity to the lawsuits under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. “Because Section 230 merely provides a defense to liability—not immunity from suit—they lack appellate jurisdiction to review the district court’s rulings on an interlocutory basis. Although Section 230 limits liability for online platforms that host third-party content, Congress didn’t give companies an explicit guarantee that they will not face trials, the 9th Circuit judges’ panel said.