US EditionJury finds Instagram and YouTube liable in landmark social media addiction trial
A Los Angeles jury found Meta responsible for 70% and YouTube 30% of a $3 million award after ruling their addictive design harmed a young user’s mental health.
- On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google-owned YouTube negligent in designing addictive platforms, awarding plaintiff Kaley G.M. $3 million in compensatory damages—70% to Meta, 30% to YouTube—and finding the companies acted with malice.
- The bellwether trial, which began in January in Los Angeles Superior Court, examined claims that features like "infinite scroll" and autoplay were intentionally designed to hook young users, which Kaley alleged fueled her anxiety and depression.
- Internal documents revealed Meta researchers found 11-year-olds were four times more likely to return to Instagram than competing apps, though defendants argued Kaley's struggles stemmed from a turbulent childhood rather than their platforms.
- A separate proceeding will determine punitive damages after the jury found the companies acted with egregious conduct; this follows a Tuesday decision ordering Meta to pay $375 million in a similar New Mexico child safety case.
- Experts compare this 'Big Tobacco' moment to 1990s tobacco litigation, as the verdict could influence thousands of pending suits from school districts and families, signaling tech firms may increasingly face liability for platform design.
530 Articles
530 Articles
For decades, a U.S. law protected social media companies from lawsuits for their platform content. This is changing now.
In a civil trial around the addictive potential of social media platforms, a US court in Instagram and Youtube has committed to high compensation payments. The convicted corporations can appeal. Other platforms such as Snapchat and Tiktok had previously escaped the process through a comparison. Europe's press sees opportunities for re-regulation of the sector.
Meta and Google Ordered to Pay $3M in Social Media Lawsuit
A jury has ordered Meta and Google to pay $3 million to a 20-year-old woman who said she developed an addiction to Instagram and YouTube as a child. According to… The post Jury Orders Meta and Google to Pay $3M in Social Media Addiction Case appeared first on .
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Meta and YouTube found negligent in landmark social media addiction case
Social media company Meta and video streaming service YouTube harmed a young user with design features that were addictive and led to her mental health distress, a jury found Wednesday, a landmark decision that could open social media companies to more lawsuits over users’ well-being.
leprogres.fr
republicain-lorrain.frThunderstorming for social networks, Instagram and YouTube were recognized as responsible for the addiction of its users, this Wednesday, in a judgment that could be dated.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 49% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
