Meta and Alphabet’s Courtroom Losses May Not Last

Social media biggies have taken it on the chin from juries this week. And although, for reasons I’ll get to, I’m skeptical that the verdicts will hold up on appeal, I do think there are some important lessons here.

The cases themselves are, by now, well known. On Tuesday, a jury in New Mexico awarded $375 million against Meta Platforms Inc. for harm that its products allegedly cause to children and teens. The next day, a California jury handed down a $6 million judgment against Meta and Alphabet Inc.’s Google for allegedly creating the plaintiff’s social media addiction, which in turn led to broader mental health challenges.