A US federal court has rejected Apple, Google, and Meta’s attempt to dismiss lawsuits related to casino-style gambling apps.
The court rejected Section 230 defenses
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose, California, ruled that the companies’ claims of protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act were invalid. The judge emphasized that Apple, Google, and Meta did not act as “publishers” when processing payments and therefore could not claim immunity.
The lawsuits
The plaintiffs allege that Apple’s App Store, Google Play, and Facebook effectively promoted “Las Vegas-style virtual casinos,” taking a 30% commission on transactions—more than $2 billion. The lawsuits claim that these practices led to addiction, depression, and other negative consequences for users.
Partial Dismissal and Further Proceedings
While some of the state-specific lawsuits were dismissed, the consumer protection cases remain in effect (with the exception of California). The judge noted that the companies may immediately appeal the decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, given the significance of the issues surrounding Section 230.
The lawsuits were filed back in 2021 and consolidated into multi-district cases:
- Apple Inc. Casino-Style Games (No. 21-md-02985)
- Google Play Casino Games (No. 21-md-03001)
- Facebook Casino Games (No. 21-02777)
Thus, the litigation surrounding major tech companies and their role in promoting social casino apps continues and promises to set precedents.
Apple has issued an urgent warning for users to update their devices after patching a dangerous zero-click vulnerability that could allow hackers to compromise iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Cybersecurity experts stress that this flaw is particularly risky for cryptocurrency holders, as attackers could exploit it to gain access to sensitive data and digital wallets.
