A federal appeals court on Monday cleared the way for thousands of lawsuits targeting major social media companies over allegations that their platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive to young users. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied an early appeal by Meta Platforms and ByteDance’s TikTok, allowing over 3,000 lawsuits to proceed.

Meta and TikTok had sought to dismiss these claims, arguing that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 shields them from liability for user-generated content, including any accusations related to failing to warn about the addictive nature of their services. Section 230 generally protects online platforms from legal responsibility for the content their users post.

However, the appeals court ruled that Section 230 does not provide complete immunity from lawsuits but rather serves as a potential defense against liability. As a result, the companies’ attempt to shut down the cases before discovery and further proceedings was premature. The court emphasized that the companies must still face the legal process before any determination on liability can be made.

The lawsuits, collectively addressing claims that Meta, TikTok, Alphabet’s Google, and Snap’s Snapchat engineered their platforms to maximize user engagement at the expense of young users’ well-being, have drawn significant attention to the social media industry’s role in youth mental health. The proceedings marked a notable legal challenge to how social media companies design and market their products, particularly regarding their impact on children and adolescents.

By allowing the cases to move forward, the 9th Circuit underscores the judiciary’s willingness to scrutinize tech companies’ responsibilities beyond content moderation protections. The decisions set the stage for extensive litigation that could have far-reaching implications on the standards and practices of social media platforms.