Meta appeals verdict in landmark social media addiction lawsuit

Los Angeles: Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has appealed the verdict in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit in Los Angeles, challenging the jury's finding that it designed its platforms to hook young users without regard for their well-being.

Lawyers representing Meta filed a notice of appeal on Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. They will present their arguments in subsequent court filings.

The case centred on a 20-year-old woman who said she became addicted to social media as a child and that it worsened her mental health struggles. The jury found that negligence by both Meta and Google-owned YouTube, which was also a defendant in the case, was a substantial factor in causing harm to the young woman, identified in court only by her initials, KGM, and her first name, Kaley.

The jury awarded Kaley $3 million in damages and recommended a further $3 million in punitive damages. Her lead attorney, Mark Lanier, said the legal team expects the appellate court to "continue the careful application of the law to this case, affirming the verdict of the trial court."

A notice of appeal marks the beginning of what can be a lengthy legal process.

A Meta spokesperson said teen mental health is "profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app."

José Castañeda, a spokesperson for Google, said YouTube also plans to appeal, adding that "these are standard motions for this case to move forward."

Meta and Google had each sought to overturn the jury's verdict or secure a new trial through post-trial motions, but Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl rejected those requests in early June.

Tech companies such as Meta and YouTube are generally protected from liability for third-party content under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. To overcome those protections, the plaintiffs focused on platform design features such as infinite scroll and autoplay, arguing that they contributed to social media addiction.

The verdict came during a difficult period for Meta. A jury in New Mexico found a day earlier that the company's platforms had harmed children's mental health and safety, imposing a $375 million penalty. Meta has said it disagrees with that verdict and will appeal.

"We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online," a Meta spokesperson said.

Kaley's case was a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, and the verdict could influence the outcome of thousands of similar cases accusing social media companies of deliberately causing harm. TikTok and Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. were also initially named as defendants but settled for undisclosed sums before the trial began.