Meta and Google Face Landmark Lawsuit Over Social Media Addiction
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A 20-year-old woman has won a $3m payout from Meta and Google after a jury found their social media apps responsible for her addiction and subsequent mental health issues.
The ruling, which could be a turning point in how social apps are regulated, was based on a novel legal argument that the companies designed their platforms to be addictive.
Internal company documents showed that executives knew of the harmful effects of their products on children, and features like auto-playing videos and infinite feeds were designed to lure youngsters.
The verdict could influence thousands of similar lawsuits against Meta, Google, and other social media firms, with some lawyers comparing the claims to the cases brought against tobacco companies in earlier decades.
Australia has already banned under-16s from using social networks, and other countries are considering similar measures, with a majority of countries in a 30-country study in favour of excluding under-14s from social media.
