Arabic version: ميتا وجوجل مسؤولتان في قضية بارزة حول وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي
A Los Angeles jury has found Meta and Alphabet’s Google liable for damages in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit. The case involves a 20-year-old woman who said she became addicted to Google’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram at a young age because of their attention-grabbing design. According to SBS News, the verdict could mark a turning point in the global backlash against their platforms’ perceived mental health harms to youth.
The jury awarded damages of $4.2 million to the plaintiff from Meta and $1.8 million from Google, with Meta responsible for 70% of the total damages. The jury concluded that Google and Meta were negligent in the design of both apps and failed to warn about their dangers.
In response to the verdict, Meta expressed disagreement and indicated that its legal team is evaluating options for appeal. Google also plans to contest the ruling, asserting that the verdict misrepresents YouTube, “which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site.”
This case reflects a growing trend of legal action against social media companies regarding the safety of children and teens. Over the past decade, these companies have faced increasing scrutiny, leading to a shift towards legal challenges rather than legislative reforms. Currently, at least 20 U.S. states have enacted laws regulating social media use by minors, and further trials against technology companies are anticipated in the near future.
