A California state court judge has denied motions by Meta Platforms and Google's YouTube seeking a new trial. The ruling follows a jury verdict finding the tech giants liable for designing social media platforms harmful to young people.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl rejected the companies' defense that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields them from liability. Kuhl clarified that the federal law protects platforms regarding user-generated content, not their own algorithmic design choices.
"There was substantial evidence that Plaintiff was harmed by the design features of Instagram, regardless of any of the content found on that platform," Kuhl wrote.
The lawsuit, filed by a woman who alleged addiction to YouTube and Instagram due to attention-grabbing interfaces, resulted in a $6 million damages award. The jury found both companies negligent.
Meta stated it disagrees with the ruling, arguing the legal theory improperly circumvents Section 230 and the First Amendment. The company expects the decision to be overturned on appeal. Representatives for Google did not immediately comment.
Mark Lanier, attorney for the plaintiff, noted the evidence of fault was overwhelming, stating no one was surprised by the denial of a new trial.