California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a statement after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Meta Platforms, Inc’s appeal challenging the Attorney General’s social media lawsuit against the company based on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Today’s order also denies Meta’s motion to stop the trial, set to start this week, from going forward. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by attorneys general nationwide, alleges that Meta, among other things, designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and Facebook that drive excessive use by children and teens to their severe mental and physical detriment, all the while misleading the public regarding the existence and severity of these risks.

“On the eve of trial, Meta has resorted to seeking an emergency stay in the appellate courts. Meta’s latest effort to get out of taking accountability has failed — again. One of my most important jobs as Attorney General is to protect our children from harm. Meta designed a dangerous product for young users, knew it to be dangerous, and then lied to children, families, and the community about how dangerous it was. We are ready to hold Meta accountable for its role in fueling the mental health crisis of American children and look forward to trial. It seems Meta very much does not.” – AG Bonta