A U.S. court has found social media companies liable for negligent app design that caused mental health issues and addiction in young people.
It found they “knew, or should have known” young people would become addicted to their apps and warned them.
Meta and Google (YouTube) must collectively pay $US6 million ($AU8.6 million) in damages to the complainant, known as ‘KGM’.
Both companies will appeal the verdict.
Background
This was the first of a series of trials against social media companies including Meta, YouTube, Snap, and TikTok.
Lawyers for a 20-year-old woman, known by the initials KGM, alleged she developed a social media addiction and other mental health issues from her use of major platforms.
One of the claims was that Meta’s features, such as the “infinite scroll,” led her to engage with “content that proved harmful”.
They alleged social media companies “intentionally designed their platforms to be addictive to children and teens”.
The lawyers argued these companies’ algorithms “promote compulsive use” with “never-ending feeds” and notifications.
In January, TikTok and Snap settled their cases hours before the trial began. No details are known about the terms of the settlements or how much money they involved.
Meta chose not to settle. Both Instagram leader Adam Mosseri and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified at the trial.
During the trial, media in the courtroom reported Zuckerberg was questioned about user safety, social media age limits, and the availability of features like beauty filters.
“If people feel like they’re not having a good experience, why would they keep using the product?” Zuckerberg said.
Mosseri said: “It’s important to differentiate between clinical addiction and problematic use.”
He compared young people’s use of Instagram to “watching TV for longer than you feel good about”.
Verdict
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On Wednesday (U.S. time), a jury determined Meta and YouTube were negligent in their platforms’ design and operation, and failed to warn vulnerable users of the risks.
Speaking to press after the trial, one of KGM’s lawyers, Mark Lanier, said these failures were “substantial contributing factor[s] to harming KGM”.
Lanier said the jury found Meta is liable for 70%, and YouTube 30% of the harm.
Together, the companies must pay $US3 million ($AU4.3 million) in compensation, and another $US3 million in punitive damages (similar to a fine).
Response
In a statement, a Google spokesperson said the company will appeal the verdict.
“The case misunderstands YouTube,” the spokesperson said, calling it “a responsibly built streaming platform”.
Speaking outside the courtroom, a Meta spokesperson said it also plans to appeal.
“Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app,” the Meta spokesperson added.
Other cases
Thousands of similar cases against Google, Meta, TikTok, and Snap are due in courts across the U.S. this year.
KGM’s lawyers said the outcome of this trial “shows how juries may react when they hear evidence that social media design choices can harm young users.”
Australia
Heads Up Alliance (HUA) is a grassroots organisation pushing for social media and smartphone-free childhoods.
Speaking to TDA, HUA Co-Founder Dany Elachi called the verdict “vindication”, and “more motivation” for parents to “keep their children away from these harmful products in future.”
Elachi believes the outcome is “momentum” to help globalise Australia’s under-16s social media ban.
“That is one of the many tools that now countries will be looking to employ in restoring childhood,” he said.
