A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Alphabet’s Google and Meta liable for $6m in damages in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit, a ruling that could influence thousands of similar cases.
The verdict, delivered on 25 March, is expected to shape claims against major technology firms, with at least half of U.S. teenagers using YouTube or Instagram daily, according to the Pew Research Center.
The jury found Meta liable for $4.2m in damages and Google for $1.8m.
The case centred on a 20-year-old woman who said she became addicted to the platforms at a young age due to their attention-grabbing design. Plaintiffs focused on platform design rather than content, making it more difficult for the companies to avoid liability.
Snap and TikTok were also named as defendants but reached settlements with the plaintiff before the trial began. The terms were not disclosed.
Shares in Meta Platforms rose about 1%, while Alphabet edged slightly higher following the verdict, indicating limited market reaction.
A Meta spokesperson said: “We respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options.” Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Large technology companies in the U.S. have faced growing criticism over the past decade regarding the safety of children and teenagers online. The debate has increasingly shifted to courts and state governments, as the U.S. Congress has yet to pass comprehensive legislation regulating social media.
At least 20 states enacted laws last year addressing children’s use of social media, according to the non-partisan National Conference of State Legislatures, which tracks such measures.
These laws include restrictions on mobile phone use in schools and requirements for users to verify their age before opening social media accounts. NetChoice, a trade association backed by companies including Meta and Google, is challenging age-verification rules in court.
A separate social media addiction case brought by several states and school districts is expected to go to trial this summer in federal court in Oakland, California.
Another trial is scheduled to begin in Los Angeles in July, according to Matthew Bergman, one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs. It will involve Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat.
Separately, a New Mexico jury on Tuesday found that Meta had violated state law in a case brought by the state’s attorney general, who accused the company of misleading users about the safety of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and of enabling child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said...
Georgia could gain a direct electricity link to Europe under plans for a new overland energy corridor connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye ...
Türkiye has unveiled plans for joint military exercises and defence production with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan under a new security pact that i...
Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt air travel, following hundreds of cancellations and diversions over the past week.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or rerouted at Catania Airport over the past week as ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption continues to disrupt air travel in Sicily.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
Iran and Afghanistan are seeking closer cooperation in agriculture, livestock and irrigation during a three-day Iranian ministerial visit to Kabul, as both sides look to strengthen trade and rural economies.
At least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured in Ukraine in July, according to UN investigators, marking the highest monthly civilian casualty toll since March 2022.
Record rainfall in Japan killed eight people and stranded thousands of travellers at Tokyo's Narita Airport on Friday, as flooding disrupted transport and cut power to 20,000 homes.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 14th of August, covering the latest developments.
Ukraine’s attacks on Russian ports, refineries and shipping infrastructure are putting Moscow’s energy exports under growing pressure and disrupting key trade routes, raising concerns over commercial shipping and global food supplies.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment