A federal judge on Tuesday rejected Apple, Google and Meta Platforms on Tuesday to dismiss demands that claim that they promoted illegal bets when accommodating and accepting casino -style application commissions that generate addiction in users.
The Judge of the US District Edward Davila in San José, California, rejected the main argument of the companies that section 230 of the Law of Decency in Communications, which protects the online platforms of responsibility for the third party content, exempt them from the proposed collective demands.
Davila dismissed some claims that alleged violations of some US state laws. UU., But denied motions to dismiss all claims filed under consumer protection laws, except in California.
Google, an Alphabet unit, did not make immediate comments. Apple and Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comments. The lawyers of the plaintiffs did not respond immediately to similar applications.
Dozens of plaintiffs argued that Apple’s App Store, the Google Play Store and Meta Facebook promoted an “authentic Las Vegas style of bets on slot machines” through an illegal traffic conspiracy.
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When exploiting users, the defendants allegedly caused depression, suicidal thoughts and other consequences, while intermediates intermediately and charged 30% commissions – estimated at more than 2 billion dollars – about the transactions they processed, the plaintiffs added.
The demands seek compensatory damage and triple damage, among other remedies.
Importance of issues justifies immediate appeals: judges
In a 37 -page decision, Davila concluded that Apple, Google and Meta did not act as “editors” when processing payments, which undermined their immunity claims under section 230.
He called irrelevant the fact that companies provided “neutral tools” to support applications and rejected a suggestion that the fact that the plaintiffs did not label them as “books” (betting agents) exempt them from responsibility.
“The essence of the plaintiffs theory is that the defendants improperly processed payments for social casino applications,” Davila wrote. “It is not important if that activity makes the defendants in books or intermediaries.”
Davila said Apple, Google and Meta can immediately appeal their decision to the Appeals Court of the 9th US Circuit., In part due to the importance of issues related to section 230.
That court dismissed previous appeals in May 2024, saying that he lacked jurisdiction at that time. The litigation against the defendants based in Silicon Valley began in 2021.
Los casos en el Tribunal de Distrito de EE. UU., Distrito Norte de California, son In re Apple Inc App Store Simulated Casino-Style Games Litigation, No. 21-md-02985; In re Google Play Store Simulated Casino-Style Games Litigation, No. 21-md-03001; y In re Facebook Simulated Casino-Style Games Litigation, No. 21-02777.
With Reuters information.
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