Meta appeals verdict in social media addiction lawsuit
Meta and Google have filed appeals against a landmark jury verdict that held them liable for social media addiction and mental health struggles in a young user. The case focused on platform design features like infinite scroll rather than third-party content, potentially setting a precedent for thousands of similar pending lawsuits.
Why it matters
This case challenges the legal protections of tech giants by targeting platform design, signaling a major shift in how social media companies may be held accountable for user well-being.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has appealed the verdict of a landmark social media addiction lawsuit in Los Angeles, challenging the jury's determination that the company designed its platforms to hook young users without concern for their well-being.
Lawyers representing Meta filed a notice of appeal Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawyers will provide their arguments related to the appeal 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.
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