A Los Angeles jury has found Alphabet’s Google and Meta liable for $3 million in damages in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit, a decision that could shape thousands of similar cases.
The ruling may influence claims brought by parents, attorneys general and school districts against major technology firms. At least half of U.S. teenagers use YouTube or Instagram daily, according to the Pew Research Center.
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.
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A New Mexico jury on Tuesday found Meta Platforms violated state law in a lawsuit brought by the state attorney general, who accused the company of misleading users about the safety of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp and of enabling child sexual exploitation on those platforms.
Meta Platforms is increasing compensation for top executives, including its first-ever offer of stock options, as it tries to fend off competition in the artificial intelligence (AI) race and incentivize leaders to stay with the company for several years.
Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify in a high-profile trial in Los Angeles examining claims that the company’s platforms contributed to youth addiction and mental health harm.
Spain’s government has instructed prosecutors to investigate social media platforms X, Meta and TikTok over the alleged creation and dissemination of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. was talking to the right people in Iran to make a deal on Tuesday (24 March), as Pakistan's Prime Minister offered to host peace talks between the two countries to bring about an end to the conflict.
Both the United States and Iran are giving conflicting messages about trying to end the conflict in the Middle East as the rest of the world battle with the consequences of the war. Welcome to AnewZ's coverage of the tensions in the Middle East.
Afghan authorities say Pakistani jets entered northern Afghanistan, while Pakistan insists its actions target terrorism, highlighting continued strain after a temporary Eid ceasefire ended.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen resigned on Wednesday after her coalition suffered a heavy election defeat, triggering negotiations over who will form the next government.
Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, the Israeli military said, after U.S. President Donald Trump postponed a threat to bomb the Islamic Republic's power grid because of what he described as productive talks with Iranian officials.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said it is unfair for people around the world to shoulder the cost of U.S.–Israeli attacks on Iran, warning that Spanish firms have already lost €100 billion ($116 billion) in less than a month as a result of the conflict.
Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN), said on Wednesday that the U.S. had “clearly made a mistake” in launching strikes on Iran, arguing Washington misjudged the resilience of the Iranian regime.
Russia’s Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga, major export terminals, suspended loadings of crude oil and refined products on Wednesday after large-scale Ukrainian drone attacks triggered a blaze, sources told Reuters.
The UK government is to trial social media bans, curfews and app time limits in the homes of 300 teenagers, as part of a wider consultation on restricting under-16s’ access to platforms and improving online safety.
Hungary will gradually halt gas supplies to Ukraine until oil deliveries resume via the Druzhba pipeline, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Wednesday.
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