Escalation: Meta Appeals $6m Youth Addiction Verdict

Lawyers representing Meta filed a notice of appeal in Los Angeles County Superior Court challenging the jury’s finding that its platforms were designed to hook young users. The jury had awarded the plaintiff $3 million in compensatory damages and recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages.

The jury found negligence by both Meta and Google-owned YouTube was a substantial factor in causing harm; YouTube plans to appeal. Meta and Google had each filed post-trial motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and for a new trial, which the trial judge, Carolyn B. Kuhl, denied in early June.

Plaintiffs pressed claims about product design rather than third-party content, pointing to features such as infinite scroll and autoplay to overcome Section 230 protections. Kaley’s case is a first-of-its-kind lawsuit whose outcome could shape thousands of similar suits against social media companies.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources