Meta Loses Section 230 Shield Over Ads

Chief Judge Richard Seeborg in Bouck v. Meta Platforms, Inc. (N.D. Cal.) ruled on Tuesday that plaintiffs plausibly alleged Meta materially contributed to fraudulent pump-and-dump ads for China Liberal Education Holdings Ltd. by using Ads Manager tools—Flexible Format, Dynamic Creative, and generative-AI Advantage+ Creative—and denied dismissal under Section 230. The court also allowed aiding-and-abetting claims to proceed, potentially exposing platforms to liability if allegations are proven.