Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has appealed a landmark jury verdict in a social media addiction lawsuit in Los Angeles, according to a report by PTI. The appeal challenges the jury's determination that the company designed its platforms to hook young users without concern for their well-being.
The Case and Verdict
The case centered on a 20-year-old woman, identified in court only by her initials KGM and first name Kaley, who said she became addicted to social media as a child and that it worsened her mental health struggles. A jury found that negligence by both Meta and Google-owned YouTube was a substantial factor in causing harm to Kaley. The jury awarded her $3 million in damages and recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages, the report stated.
Appeal and Post-Trial Motions
Lawyers representing Meta filed a notice of appeal Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, PTI reported. They will provide their arguments in subsequent court filings. Both Meta and Google had each filed post-trial motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and for a new trial. The trial judge, Carolyn B. Kuhl, denied those motions in early June. A Meta spokesperson provided a statement Friday, saying that teen mental health is "profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app." José Castañeda, a spokesperson for Google, said in a statement that YouTube plans to appeal and that "these are standard motions for this case to move forward." Kaley's lead attorney, Mark Lanier, said in a statement Friday that 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."
Legal Shield and Design Features
Tech companies like Meta and YouTube are shielded from legal responsibility for content posted by third parties, based on Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, PTI noted. To get around those protections, the plaintiffs focused on the design features of the platforms such as "infinite scroll," or the endless nature of feeds, and autoplay functions. Questions about encroaching into content-related territory were the subject of many objections from the defendants throughout the five-week trial.
Broader Legal Woes
The verdict came during a time of legal woes for Meta. A jury in New Mexico returned a verdict finding that Meta's platforms harm children's mental health and safety just one day before the California jury reached its decision, according to the report. The New Mexico jury, siding with state prosecutors, landed on a penalty of $375 million. Meta has said it disagrees with the verdict and will also appeal in that case. A Meta spokesperson said: "We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online."
| Case | Location | Verdict/Award | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaley v. Meta & YouTube | Los Angeles, California | $3M damages + $3M punitive recommended | Appeal filed by Meta; YouTube plans appeal |
| New Mexico v. Meta | New Mexico | $375M penalty | Meta to appeal |
Industry Implications
PTI reported that Kaley's case was a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, and the verdict could influence the outcome of thousands of similar lawsuits accusing social media companies of deliberately causing harm. TikTok and Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. were also initially named as defendants in the case, but each settled for undisclosed sums before the trial began.
The notice of appeal starts what can be a lengthy process, according to the report.
Sources:
