Meta appeals social media addiction verdict as EU demands design changes

Meta appealed the landmark K.G.M. jury verdict that found it liable for addictive platform design harming a young user's mental health.bnnbloomberg+1
The appeal follows a June ruling upholding the $6 million award; a Los Angeles judge found "substantial evidence" Meta disregarded child safety, according to Reuters.reuters+1
Separately Friday, the European Commission issued preliminary findings that Facebook and Instagram breach the Digital Services Act through addictive design.europa+1

Meta Platforms has formally appealed the landmark jury verdict in the K.G.M. v. Meta case, which found the company liable for designing addictive social media platforms that harmed a young user's mental health, according to Bloomberg. The appeal, filed Thursday, comes on the same day the European Commission issued preliminary findings that Meta's Facebook and Instagram breach the EU's Digital Services Act through addictive design features.abcnews+3

The Appeal

The Los Angeles County Superior Court jury found Meta and Google's Alphabet Inc. YouTube negligent in March, awarding the plaintiff — a 20-year-old woman identified by her initials K.G.M. — $6 million in combined compensatory and punitive damages. The jury determined Meta bore 70 percent of responsibility, amounting to $4.2 million.nytimes+3

Meta first asked Judge Carolyn Kuhl to throw out the verdict in May, arguing it was shielded by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. That motion was denied in June, with the court finding the punitive damages award was "supported by substantial evidence" that Meta "willfully and consciously disregarded the rights and safety of its minor users". Meta has now escalated the fight to the appellate level.reuters+5

The case was the first social media addiction lawsuit to reach a jury in the United States and is considered a bellwether for more than 1,600 similar claims consolidated before the same court.lanierlawfirm+1

EU Adds Pressure From Abroad

Separately on Friday, the European Commission issued preliminary findings accusing Meta of violating the Digital Services Act by building Facebook and Instagram to keep users hooked. The regulator demanded Meta disable "key addictive features" like infinite scroll, autoplay, and push notifications by default, and retune its recommendation algorithms to be less oriented toward engagement.thenextweb+2

If confirmed after Meta responds, the company could face a fine of up to 6 percent of its global annual revenue. The investigation began in May 2024 and represents the EU's most specific action yet targeting platform design rather than content moderation.reuters+3

What Comes Next

A second social media addiction trial involving another plaintiff in the consolidated litigation is set to begin July 27 in Los Angeles. Rachel Lanier of The Lanier Law Firm, which represents the plaintiffs, said the firm is "turning full steam to the next trial" and looks forward to "continuing to hold these social media companies accountable".lanierlawfirm

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