Meta and Google Denied New Trial in Youth Social Media Addiction Lawsuit

By: Cris Tolomia | 2 min read

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has denied motions filed by Meta Platforms and Alphabet's Google requesting a new trial, upholding a jury's findings that both companies bear liability for designing social media platforms harmful to minors.

Judge Carolyn Kuhl ruled on the motions Tuesday, rejecting arguments that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shielded the companies from liability.

Case Background

The lawsuit was brought by a woman who alleged that the deliberately stimulating designs of Instagram and YouTube caused her to develop an addiction to both platforms during her youth. The jury returned a negligence verdict against each company and set total damages at $6 million.

Key Ruling on Section 230

Central to the companies' bid for a new trial was the argument that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protected them from liability. The law generally shields online platforms from claims tied to user-generated content.

In her ruling, Judge Kuhl concluded that Section 230 was inapplicable because the claims turned on design decisions rather than content. She noted that jurors had received consistent instructions to keep content out of their deliberations.

"There was substantial evidence that Plaintiff was harmed by the design features of Instagram, regardless of any of the content found on that platform." — Judge Carolyn Kuhl

Company Responses

Both companies said they plan to appeal.

• Meta spokesperson: "The plaintiffs' legal theory attempts to improperly circumvent Section 230 and the First Amendment, and we expect this ruling to be overturned on appeal."
• Google spokesperson José Castañeda confirmed in a written statement that the company would pursue an appeal.

Plaintiff's Reaction

Plaintiff's attorney Mark Lanier described the decision as unsurprising:

"The evidence of fault was mountain high."

Broader Legal Context

The Los Angeles verdict was one of two significant losses Meta suffered in close succession:

• A separate jury in New Mexico handed down a $375 million judgment against Meta around the same time, finding the company had deceived users about platform safety for children.
• Following those verdicts, plaintiff recruitment advertising tied to social media addiction suits surged across television and radio.

Scale of Ongoing Litigation

The scope of litigation remains considerable:

• California state court is currently hosting more than 3,300 addiction-related suits targeting Meta, Google, Snap, and TikTok parent ByteDance.
• Approximately 2,400 additional cases filed by private individuals, school districts, municipalities, and state governments have been consolidated before a California federal court.

Stocks referenced: META, GOOGL

Source: Reuters