Big Tobacco moment: Meta and Google found responsible for social media addiction
The high-profile case could have implications for social media and the technology sector as a whole
Jury finds Meta and Google guilty of negligence in social media addiction case / Photo: Koshiro K / Shutterstock.com
Meta, which owns Instagram, and Google, which owns YouTube, were negligent and must pay compensation in a high-profile case of addiction to social networks, a jury in Los Angeles ruled. The amount of compensation will be $3 million: 70% must transfer Meta, and the remaining 30% - YouTube, reports CNBC. The court will also consider the issue of fines, Bloomberg reports.
The 20-year-old plaintiff claimed that she started watching YouTube videos at the age of six and using Instagram from the age of nine, which eventually severely damaged her mental health. The woman claimed she suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts due to the constant use of the app and notifications that prevented her from stopping. During the trial, the jury examined whether design elements such as recommendation algorithms and auto-play contributed to this. In the end, they noted that the companies failed to warn consumers of the risks.
Meta and YouTube have denied the allegations, saying they take security seriously and implement features to mitigate potential harm.
"We respectfully disagree with the verdict and are exploring our legal options," Ma said in a statement. YouTube did not immediately respond to the agency's request for comment.
What this means for the market
This trial is the first in a series of cases against social media that have gone to trial this year. For example, similar consolidated lawsuits from school districts and parents across the country are set to go to trial in California this summer. They allege that Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap apps contributed to the deterioration of young users' mental health. TikTok and Snap were also involved in the current case - against Meta and Google - but settled before the trial began.
The jury's verdict may prompt the companies to negotiate a settlement, Bloomberg suggests. The court chose the case against Meta and Google as an illustrative case to determine the approach to similar lawsuits, CNBC notes. Experts call all this a "Big Tobacco moment" for the social networking industry - similar to the 1990s, when tobacco companies were forced to pay billions of dollars for misleading consumers about the harm of their products, the channel recalls.
A key strategy for plaintiffs in all of these cases is to focus on possible social media design flaws, such as engagement mechanics, rather than on allegedly harmful content. This is intended to help circumvent the argument by tech companies that they should not be held liable for user postings, CNBC explains.
This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor
