Case Explained: MULTISTATE ATTORNEY GENERAL PLAINTIFFS, ET AL. V. META PLATFORMS, INC., ET AL.

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Filed: 2026-08-10 Docket: 4:22-md-03047-YGR The ninth-circuit dismissed Meta Platforms, Inc., TikTok entities’, and plaintiffs’ cross-appeals for lack of appellate jurisdiction because the district court’s rulings denying motions to dismiss based on section 230 of the Communications Decency Act were not immediately appealable. The court held that section 230 provides a defense to liability rather than immunity from suit, meaning an order denying such protection does not satisfy the collateral order doctrine under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. Specifically, the court found the ruling was not effectively unreviewable on appeal from a final judgment, was not conclusive as the district court indicated willingness to revisit the issue, and was inextricably linked to the merits of the action. As a result, the appeals are dismissed and the litigation proceeds in the district court without interlocutory review of the section 230 immunity claims. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.