YouTube filed a notice of appeal Monday in the landmark social media addiction case, joining Meta. The jury awarded $3M in damages and recommended $3M punitive.
YouTube filed a notice of appeal Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, challenging the jury's finding that it designed its platform to hook young users without regard for their well-being. The move came less than a week after Meta, a co-defendant in the same case, filed its own appeal.
The case centered on a 20-year-old woman, identified in court as Kaley, who said she became addicted to social media as a child and that it worsened her mental health. The jury found negligence by both Google-owned YouTube and Meta was a substantial factor in causing her harm. It awarded Kaley $3 million in damages and recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages.
Mark Lanier, Kaley's lead attorney, said in a statement after Meta's appeal 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."
Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesperson, said last week that YouTube was planning to appeal and that "these are standard motions for this case to move forward."
During the five-week trial, YouTube argued its platform is not a social media platform because it offers video sharing and streaming. Both YouTube and Meta raised questions about whether the evidence encroached on legal protections under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields tech companies from liability for third-party content. The plaintiff's lawyers focused on design features like autoplay, which they argued led to longer, less intentional use.
The trial judge, Carolyn B Kuhl, denied post-trial motions from both companies in early June. The appeals will now proceed in the California appellate courts.
Kaley's case was the first of its kind to reach a jury. The verdict could influence thousands of similar lawsuits accusing social media companies of deliberately causing harm. TikTok and Snapchat parent Snap Inc. were initially named as defendants but settled for undisclosed sums before trial.
The appeal notices are the first step in a process that could take months or years. No oral arguments have been scheduled.
Drafted by a large language model from the source reporting linked above, then screened by automated publishing checks. It is not read by a journalist before publication. Some articles cite our Alpha Score. Verify prices and figures against the original source. Educational coverage, not personalized advice.