Meta and YouTube found liable in landmark social media addiction trial
A woman has been awarded $3m in a verdict that could have implications for hundreds of other cases in the US.
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Notable Quotes
"Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app."
— Mark Zuckerberg , Executive
"Negative sentiment toward social media has been building for years, and now it's finally boiled over."
— Mike Proulx , Academic
""a momentous development" but noted it’s just "one step in a much longer saga""
— Peter Ormerod , Academic
"We respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options."
— Mark Zuckerberg , Executive
"Creo que las redes, su adicción a las redes, han cambiado el modo en que funciona su cerebro."
— Kaley G. M. , Other
"Este veredicto es muy importante para toda una generación de jóvenes afectados por esta adicción."
— Abogado de la denunciante , Activist
"we respectfully disagree with that decision and we're appealing."
— Dina Powell McCormick , Executive
"This verdict carries implications far beyond this courtroom."
— Matthew Bergman , Executive
"This case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site."
— José Castañeda , Executive
"The era of Big Tech invincibility is over."
— Sacha Haworth , Executive
"I’m not sure what to say to that. I don’t think that applies here."
— Mark Zuckerberg , Executive
"One thing that I saw working inside the company that effectively led to behavior change was when an attorney general or the FTC stepped in and required things of the company."
— Arturo Béjar , Other
Key People
El abogado que representa a la joven demandante en el caso contra Meta y Google.
Arturo Béjar is a former engineering leader at Meta and a whistleblower.
Meta president and vice-chairman.
Former president of the United States known for his aggressive economic policies.
Spokesman for Google, representing the company's stance on the case.
A woman whose case against social media companies focused on the impact of social media on her mental health.
A 20-year-old woman who won a landmark lawsuit against Meta and YouTube for social media addiction.
A 20-year-old woman who testified about her social media addiction and its impact on her mental health.
A 20-year-old plaintiff who experienced severe mental health harms after becoming addicted to social media platforms.
A mother who attributes her daughter's suicide to the impact of Instagram.
Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook.
A mother advocating for children's safety regarding social media practices.
An attorney leading social media addiction cases for plaintiffs.
Mike Proulx is a research director for Forrester.
Associate professor of law at Villanova University who discussed the verdict's implications.
The New Mexico Attorney General overseeing the reopened investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch.
Executive director of The Tech Oversight Project.
Sergey Brin is a co-founder of Google and a key figure in the company's AI initiatives.
Tags
All Coverage
A woman has been awarded $3m in a verdict that could have implications for hundreds of other cases in the US.
In a landmark trial, Meta and Google are accused of intentionally designing their platforms to be addictive, leading to mental health issues in young users.
YouTube denies allegations that its platform was intentionally designed to be addictive, as it faces a significant trial in the U.S.
A jury has found Meta and Google liable in a landmark trial concerning social media addiction, potentially setting a precedent for similar cases.
En un fallo judicial sin precedentes en Estados Unidos, Meta y YouTube han sido declaradas culpables de negligencia por diseñar plataformas que fomentan la adicción entre menores, con una indemnización de tres millones de dólares para la demandante.
A California jury found Meta and YouTube liable for negligently designing their platforms in ways that contributed to a young woman’s social media addiction and mental health problems, awarding her $3 million in compensatory damages and recommending an additional $3 million in punitive damages.
A California jury found Meta and YouTube guilty of intentionally designing social media platforms that foster addiction, leading to depression in a young woman named Kaley, awarding $3 million in compensatory damages and assigning 70% of the fault to Meta and 30% to YouTube.
A Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in a social media addiction trial, awarding $3 million in compensatory damages to the plaintiff, K.G.M., and an additional $3 million in punitive damages. The case could set a precedent for future lawsuits and online safety regulations.
Recent jury decisions in Los Angeles and New Mexico have marked a pivotal shift in how society holds Big Tech accountable for social media’s negative effects on children. These rulings reflect a growing public willingness to regulate tech companies and challenge their longstanding defenses under Section 230.
Un jurado en Los Ángeles emitió un fallo histórico responsabilizando a Meta y Google por causar adicción a las redes sociales en una menor, con una indemnización de tres millones de dólares para la demandante.
A Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google liable for creating addictive social media platforms—Instagram and YouTube—that contributed to a young woman's mental health problems. The jury awarded $3 million in damages, with Meta responsible for 70% due to its greater role.
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