Kathmandu— A federal appeals court in the United States has permitted over 3,000 lawsuits against Meta, Google, TikTok, Snapchat and other social media companies to move forward, addressing allegations that these platforms are designed to be intentionally addictive and harmful to young users. The San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday that the tech companies’ appeal was premature, as it came before any trial rulings were made. Plaintiffs include states, municipalities, school districts, and individual families who claim the companies knowingly created products contributing to rising rates of depression, anxiety, and mental health issues among youth.

Premature Appeal Rejected

The tech companies argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act – which generally protects online platforms from liability related to user-generated content – also shielded them from claims regarding their platform designs. The appeals court disagreed, stating that Section 230 provides a defense against liability but does not grant complete immunity from being sued, making the appeal premature. The panel also denied Meta’s request for a delay in the trial set to begin Wednesday.

Growing Global Concern

The US legal actions reflect a broader international trend of increased scrutiny and regulation surrounding social media's impact on young people. France plans to ban users under 15 from social media sites and prohibit mobile phones in high schools starting next month, while Australia has already implemented a similar ban. Britain is also planning legislation for next year. President Emmanuel Macron has publicly linked social media use to youth violence and indicated his desire for France to follow Australia’s lead with a comprehensive ban on under-16 access.

Recent Legal Setbacks for Meta

This ruling follows recent legal defeats for Meta, including a Los Angeles jury finding the company negligent in a similar case and awarding $6 million to a plaintiff who claimed addiction to Instagram and YouTube as a child. In New Mexico, Meta lost both phases of a lawsuit, initially ordered to pay $375 million in damages for misleading safety claims, followed by an additional $567 million penalty after being found to have created a public nuisance.

Meta and Google maintain they have not engaged in wrongdoing and intend to appeal the court’s decision. The cases are currently centralized before US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.