Meta and YouTube were found negligent in the design of their social media platforms by a Los Angeles jury on Wednesday and were ordered to pay $6 million in damages. The jury relied heavily on a body of internal company documents, research studies and employee communications that had accumulated over years of whistleblower disclosures and litigation discovery, for reaching its verdict, which is reported to be the first of its kind.
Are Meta and YouTube harmful to mental health?
As per reports, a jury found on Wednesday that social media company Meta and streaming service Medium YouTube harmed a young user with their addictive systems and reportedly caused harm to the mental health of the accuser. This landmark verdict is said to facilitate the opening of various lawsuits by users against the social media giants.
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A now 20-year-old woman identified as K.G.M. had accused social media companies of creating products as addictive as cigarettes or digital casinos, leading to depression and anxiety, primarily pointing out the infinite scroll and algorithmic recommendations features. K.G.M. sued Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, and Google’s YouTube. In combined compensation and punitive damages, Meta has to pay $4.2 million, and YouTube has to pay $1.8 million.
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Landmark verdict opens door to numerous lawsuits
The Los Angeles jury reached a verdict after the five-week trial, which is one of its kind as it potentially opens the door for probably thousands of lawsuits filed by teenagers, school districts, and state attorneys general against Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap, which owns Snapchat. The findings support the conclusion that social media sites or apps can cause personal injury. It is likely to factor into similar cases expected to go to trial this year, which could expose the internet giants to further financial damages and force changes to their products.
