Meta Platforms Inc. and Google LLC Appeal Addiction Verdict

Meta Platforms Inc. and Google LLC have filed notices of appeal in the Los Angeles County Superior Court following a landmark jury verdict that held both companies responsible for social media addiction in a young user. A 20-year-old woman alleged that platform design features, specifically autoplay and infinite scroll, worsened her childhood mental health struggles. The jury found that negligence by Meta Platforms Inc. and YouTube was a substantial factor in her harm, awarding $3 million in damages and recommending an additional $3 million in punitive damages.

To bypass Section 230 protections of the Communications Decency Act, the plaintiff targeted specific design mechanics rather than content. Prior to the trial, other defendants including TikTok and Snap Inc. settled the California case for undisclosed sums. In early June, Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl denied post-trial motions from both companies to toss out the verdict or grant a new trial.

This legal action follows a separate trial in New Mexico where a jury ordered Meta Platforms Inc. to pay $375 million for harming children's mental health, a decision the company also intends to appeal. Meta Platforms Inc. has argued that teen mental health is too complex to be linked to a single application and stated it will defend its record of protecting teens online.