In the US, Meta and YouTube found guilty in social media addiction case - activists welcome decision
Kyiv • UNN
A Los Angeles court found Meta and Google guilty of intentionally creating addictive platforms. The victim will receive compensation for damage to mental health.
Meta and YouTube have been found liable in a US court in a social media addiction case, and campaigners are hailing their defeat in a landmark trial, the BBC reports, writes UNN.
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Parents and campaigners seeking stronger restrictions on social media welcomed the Los Angeles jury's decision, which delivered a verdict that was an unprecedented victory for a young woman who sued Meta and YouTube over her childhood social media addiction.
The jury found that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, and Google, which owns YouTube, "deliberately created addictive social media platforms that harmed the mental health of the 20-year-old woman," the publication writes.
The woman, identified as Kaylee, was awarded $6 million in damages, a decision that is likely to have implications for hundreds of similar cases currently pending in US courts.
Meta and Google stated that they disagree with the verdict and intend to appeal.
Meta said: "Teen mental health is incredibly complex and cannot be attributed to one app." "We will continue to vigorously defend ourselves as each case is unique, and we remain confident in our achievements in protecting teens online," the statement said.
A Google spokesperson said: "This case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site."
The jury ruled that Kaylee should receive $3 million in compensatory damages and another $3 million in punitive damages, amid their finding that Meta and Google "acted with malice, oppression, or fraud" in how the companies managed their platforms.
Meta is expected to bear 70% of the compensation awarded to Kaylee, with Google covering the remaining 30%.
Parents of other children who are not part of Kaylee's lawsuit but claim they have also been harmed by social media gathered outside the courthouse on Wednesday, as they had on many other days during the five-week trial.
When the verdict was delivered, the parents reportedly "celebrated and hugged other parents and supporters who were waiting for the decision."
Mike Proulx, research director at consulting firm Forrester, said that two consecutive verdicts, following a case in New Mexico, highlight a "critical moment" in the relationship between social media companies and the public.
Another case against Meta and other social media companies, alleging harm to children, is scheduled to begin in federal court in California in June.