Meta (META.US) has been sued in more than 30 US states for allegedly addictive social networking platforms

Zhitong Finance App learned that on Tuesday, a federal judge in California ruled that Facebook's parent company Meta (META.US) must face lawsuits in various US states, accusing it of exacerbating the mental health problems of young people by making the Facebook and Instagram platforms addictive.

Oakland-based US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers dismissed Meta's claim to dismiss two separate lawsuits filed by various states last year. One lawsuit involved more than 30 states, including California and New York, and the other lawsuit was filed by Florida.

But Rogers imposed some restrictions on the states' charges, and he agreed with Meta that a federal law called Section 230 provided a degree of protection for online platforms. However, she found that the states had provided enough details about the company's alleged misleading statements to proceed with most cases.

The judge also rejected motions filed by Meta, TikTok under ByteDance, Google (GOOGL.US) YouTube, and Snap (SNAP.US) Snapchat to dismiss personal injury lawsuits involving individual plaintiffs. It's important to note that other companies are not defendants in these state lawsuits.

The ruling cleared the way for states and other plaintiffs to seek more evidence and possibly go to trial.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement: “Meta is responsible for the real harm it causes to children in California and across the US.”

Lawyers filing the personal injury plaintiffs said in a joint statement that the ruling was “a major victory for young people across the country who are negatively affected by addiction and harmful social media platforms.”

A Meta spokesperson said the company generally disagreed with the ruling and said the company “has developed a number of tools to support teenagers and their parents,” including adding a new protected “teen account” on Instagram.

A Google spokesperson called the allegations “simply untrue” and said, “Providing a safer and healthier experience for young people has always been at the core of our work.”

Other social media companies didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

Currently, states are seeking court orders against Meta's alleged illegal business practices and seeking unspecified financial compensation.

Various plaintiffs have filed hundreds of lawsuits accusing social media companies of designing addiction algorithms that cause anxiety, depression, and body image problems among teenagers, without warning about their risks.