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A US appeals court allows ~2,400 federal lawsuits against social media companies to proceed over claims their products were designed to addict young users (Diana Novak Jones/Reuters)
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A US appeals court has allowed about 2,400 federal lawsuits against social media companies to proceed, based on claims that their products were designed to addict young users.
For engineers building social platforms, this ruling means design choices that could be seen as intentionally addictive for minors are now subject to legal scrutiny. It may push companies to reconsider features like infinite scroll, notifications, or algorithmic recommendations for younger users, with potential costs in engagement and revenue.
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The appeals court decision permits the lawsuits to move forward, meaning they are not dismissed at this stage.
The claims center on the allegation that products were deliberately designed to be addictive to young users.
The ruling affects a large number of consolidated federal cases against major platforms, including Meta and Alphabet.
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