Social Media MDL Defendants Cite Recent N.Y. Section 230 Liability Ruling

OAKLAND, Calif. — Defendants in the social media adolescent addiction/injury MDL have pointed to a recent New York ruling that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields Meta and Instagram from claims accusing them of failing to implement safeguards that would protect children from online bullying.

In a May 6 filing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, defendants directed Judge Yvonne G. Rogers to Lama v. Meta Platforms Inc., No. 23-0462 (N.D. N.Y.), which reasoned that the owners of an “interactive computer service” cannot be held liable for third-party statements made on their apps.