Reuters: Meta and Google liable in case of social media addiction

A Los Angeles jury ruled on Wednesday that Google and Meta are liable for $3 million in damages in a landmark lawsuit related to social media addiction.

According to Reuters, the ruling could affect thousands of similar cases against technology companies brought by parents, state attorneys general and school districts. At least half of American teenagers use YouTube or Instagram daily, according to the Pew Research Center.

The Los Angeles case involves a 20-year-old woman who claims she became addicted to the apps at a young age because of their attention-grabbing design.

The plaintiffs in this case focused on the design of the platforms, not the content, which made it difficult for the companies to avoid liability.

Snap and TikTok were also among the defendants in the case, but reached a settlement with the prosecutor before the trial began. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Meta shares rose 1 percent, while Alphabet shares rose slightly after the verdict, with minimal changes.

"We respectfully disagree with the verdict and are considering our legal options," a Meta spokesman said.

Google did not respond to the inquiry, according to Reuters.

Growing criticism

Big tech companies in the US have faced increasing criticism over the past decade over the safety of children and teenagers. The debate has now moved to the courts and state governments, while the US Congress has not passed comprehensive laws to regulate social networks.

At least 20 states passed laws last year related to social media use and children, according to the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures.

These laws include measures regulating the use of mobile phones in schools and requiring users to verify their age to open a social media account. NetChoice, a group backed by tech companies such as Meta and Google, is seeking to overturn age verification requirements in court.

A separate case related to social media addiction, brought by individual states and school districts against technology companies, is expected to begin this summer in federal court in Oakland, California.

Another statewide trial is scheduled for July in Los Angeles, said Matthew Bergman, one of the attorneys leading the lawsuits on behalf of the plaintiffs. That case would include Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat.

In a separate case, a jury in New Mexico on Tuesday found Meta violated state law in a lawsuit filed by the state attorney general, accusing the company of misleading users about the safety of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp and facilitating the sexual exploitation of children on those platforms.