Meta Plans to Appeal Verdicts on Social Media Addictiveness

A prominent attorney representing Meta indicated that the company intends to pursue an appeal “aggressively” after juries in California and New Mexico deemed Meta responsible for significant damages—amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.

The recent jury decisions concluded that Meta is liable for creating addictive platforms and violating consumer protection laws. Mr. Mehta has shared plans to contest the ruling.

“We respectfully disagree with this ruling,” said CJ Mahoney, Meta’s chief legal officer, in an interview. He further emphasized, “We believe they are vulnerable to appeal and we intend to aggressively pursue the appeal.”

Child Safety and Social Media

In a related case, a jury in Los Angeles found both Meta and Google accountable for designing products that contribute to addiction among young users. After a lengthy trial, the jury awarded a plaintiff, referred to as KGM, $6 million, who argued that he developed a social media addiction as a child, worsening his mental health issues.

Mahoney stated that the responsibility for the youth mental health crisis should not fall solely on platforms like theirs. “We do not believe that our platform is the cause of the teen mental health crisis in this country,” he commented.

He added, “It’s not going to be the payday the plaintiffs’ lawyers want.”

While some believe that parents and schools should take responsibility for children’s social media usage, others, like Mahoney, insist that attributing blame solely to technology firms oversimplifies the issue. “I think trying to attribute all of this to one social media company, or even the technology industry, simplifies the issue in an unhelpful way,” he pointed out.

Reactions to the Verdict

Mark Lanier, who represents the plaintiffs, described the ruling as a significant victory. On a morning show, he asserted, “The simple truth is that if we don’t hold these companies accountable who enrich their coffers by intentionally addicting children to their platforms, no one will.”

Lanier acknowledged the objectives of social media companies to expand their audiences, but he stressed that this growth shouldn’t come “at the expense of children.”

The Californian verdict came shortly after another in New Mexico, where a jury held Meta liable for damages of $375 million for affecting children’s mental well-being and safety.

While TikTok and Snap were also named in the California lawsuit, they resolved the matter before it reached the jury.

For more insights, a complete interview with Meta’s Chief Legal Officer CJ Mahoney will be aired on “Saturday in America” starting at 10 a.m. ET.