Court Denies Tech Giants' Bid for New Trial Over Platform Design Harm

A California judge rejected Meta and Google's motions for a new trial. The companies were found liable for creating social media platforms allegedly harmful to youth. The court ruled that Section 230 does not shield design choices, resulting in $6 million in damages. Both companies plan to appeal.

A California state court judge has ruled against Meta Platforms and Google's YouTube in their request for a new trial, following a jury's finding that the companies' social media platforms are harmful to young people due to their design features. The ruling was made by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl.

The lawsuit was filed by a woman who claimed addiction to Google's YouTube and Meta's Instagram because of their engaging designs. Despite arguments citing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which typically protects platforms from liability over user-generated content, the judge stated this does not cover design decisions.

Meta expressed disagreement with the ruling, while Google plans to appeal. An attorney for the plaintiff remarked on the compelling evidence of the companies' fault. The tech giants now face $6 million in damages, as per the jury's decision.