Meta and Google Ordered to Pay $6M in Landmark Social Media Addiction Lawsuit
In a groundbreaking decision, a Los Angeles jury held Meta Platforms and Google accountable for damages to a 20-year-old woman. She argued that her mental health issues stemmed from social media addiction. The 12-person jury, after over eight days of deliberation, commanded the tech behemoths to pay $6 million in damages. Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is to cover 70% of the amount, while Google (YouTube) will shoulder the remaining 30%.
The plaintiff, referred to in court as Kaley GM, testified about her early exposure to these platforms. She started using YouTube at the tender age of six and Instagram when she was nine. By the time she completed elementary school, she had already uploaded 284 videos on YouTube. She confided to the court that her use of social media sparked anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, and suicidal thoughts. The jury concluded that both companies were negligent in their platforms’ design and operation. They should have issued warnings about the potential dangers their products pose to minors.
This verdict was delivered just a day after a separate New Mexico jury instructed Meta to pay $375 million in damages. This was for their failure to shield young users from child predators on its platforms. Both companies have declared their intention to appeal the verdicts. Legal pundits suggest that these cases could sway the outcome of approximately 2,000 other pending lawsuits against social media companies. Advocates are dubbing this as Big Tech’s “big tobacco moment.”
Source: NPR