YouTube Joins Meta in Appeal of Jury Verdict

YouTube has formally appealed a landmark jury verdict that found the platform's design contributed to a young user's social media addiction and mental health harm. The company filed its notice of appeal on Monday, July 13, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, joining Meta, which filed a similar appeal the previous week.

The case centered on a 20-year-old woman, identified in court as Kaley, who argued that her childhood use of social media platforms led to addiction and exacerbated her mental health struggles. After a five-week trial, a jury found that negligence by both Google-owned YouTube and Meta was a substantial factor in causing her harm. The jury awarded Kaley $3 million in damages and recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages.

The appeal challenges the jury's determination that YouTube designed its platform to hook young users without concern for their wellbeing. Lawyers for the companies are expected to detail their arguments in later court filings. Both Meta and Google had previously filed post-trial motions seeking a new trial, but those were denied by trial judge Carolyn B. Kuhl in early June.

A core argument from YouTube's defense during the...