"In an 87-page ruling Monday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl said testimony for all but one of the 11 proposed witnesses could be presented at trial, but that all of the experts would be prohibited from discussing the intent of the social media companies. Notably, Kuhl also rejected arguments raised by the companies that the testimony should be excluded under the federal Communications Decency Act's Section 230, the legal shield for online platforms."
"Notably, Kuhl also rejected arguments raised by the companies that the testimony should be excluded under the federal Communications Decency Act's Section 230, the legal shield for online platforms. Many of plaintiffs' experts make the unsurprising observation that some of the third-party content minors see on social media can be harmful, Kuhl said in her ruling. Citing previous rulings, she said Section 230 does not apply as long as the plaintiffs refrain from seeking to hold the provider liable for allowing that content to exist."
A Los Angeles judge permitted expert testimony about social media's impact on young users for upcoming trials involving Meta, Snap, Google and TikTok. The companies had sought exclusion of the experts, arguing unreliability, while plaintiffs said the experts would provide critical context. The judge allowed testimony from all but one of 11 proposed witnesses but prohibited experts from addressing company intent. The judge rejected Section 230 defenses, noting many experts observe that some third-party content minors encounter can be harmful and that Section 230 does not bar claims if plaintiffs do not seek liability solely for content existence. The companies now face claims that platform design and operation contributed to addiction and other harms.
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