Court Denies Meta and Google’s Bid to Overturn Historic K.G.M. Verdict

Ruling Affirms Landmark Jury Decision Holding Tech Giants Liable for Harm to Child

Seattle, WA – June 10, 2026 – The Social Media Victims Law Center (SMVLC), a legal advocacy organization representing parents of children harmed by social media and AI platforms, announced today that the Los Angeles Superior Court has denied all post-trial motions filed by Meta Platforms, Inc. and Google LLC seeking to overturn the jury’s verdict in K.G.M. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. et al, a case involving a SMVLC client and the first social media addiction case in the United States to reach a jury.

Judge Carolyn Kuhl rejected the companies’ motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict – a request to throw out the jury’s decision – and their motion for a new trial.   In reaching this decision, the Court found that “the evidence at trial was sufficient to support a finding that Instagram design features were a substantial factor causing Plaintiff’s harms,” that  “Meta never provided adequate warnings regarding the harms posed to minor users of Instagram flowing from the design features,” and that “the punitive damages award is supported by substantial evidence showing that Meta’s operation of Instagram involved a willful and conscious disregard for the rights and safety of its minor users.  With respect to Google, the Court ruled that “there was substantial evidence suggesting that YouTube prioritized its own profits over the safety concerns of its minor users.”

By denying the motions, the Court left fully intact the jury’s finding that Meta and Google were negligent in designing and operating their platforms as well as the jury’s award of $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million punitive damages to the plaintiff, K.G.M. 

“This ruling makes it abundantly clear that Section 230 is no longer a safe harbor for companies whose executives make deliberate design choices that result in addictive and harmful products,” said Matthew P. Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center. “This shift in how the Courts interpret the law, and evidence revealed at trial, marks the tech industry’s ‘Big Tobacco’ moment, lifting the veil on what these executives knew about the harm they were causing to families in the pursuit of higher revenue.

“There can be no doubt that the K.G.M. verdict is a turning point in efforts to hold social media companies accountable for product‑design choices that endanger young people. What began as a herculean effort by a few brave families four years ago has grown into an international movement to bring these tech companies to justice and demand real change.”