YouTube and Meta Appeal Landmark Social Media Addiction Verdict

YouTube and Meta have filed notices of appeal in the Los Angeles County Superior Court to challenge a landmark jury verdict that found both companies negligent in designing platforms to addict young users. The lawsuit was brought by a 20-year-old woman, identified as Kaley, who testified that childhood social media addiction worsened her struggles with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.

The jury awarded the plaintiff $3 million in damages and recommended $3 million in punitive damages, concluding the companies acted with malice, oppression, or fraud. Meta was held responsible for 70% of the damages and YouTube for 30%. Meta filed its notice of appeal on July 7, and YouTube followed on July 13.

During the five-week trial, YouTube argued its service is a video-sharing platform rather than social media. Both companies cited Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act to claim immunity from liability regarding third-party content, while the plaintiff's legal team focused on design features like autoplay. Prior to the appeals, Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl denied post-trial motions for a new trial filed by Google and Meta in early June. TikTok and Snap Inc. settled their roles in the case for undisclosed amounts before the trial began.