A jury in Los Angeles has rendered a significant verdict in a high-profile lawsuit against tech giants Meta and Alphabet’s Google, holding them accountable for damages related to social media addiction. This groundbreaking case is poised to set a precedent for numerous similar lawsuits targeting these corporations.

This decision comes at a time when there is mounting global criticism of social media platforms and their alleged detrimental effects on the mental health of young users. More than 20 years after social media’s inception, this verdict could mark a pivotal moment in addressing these concerns.

The jury determined that Meta must pay $4.2 million (approximately $6 million) in damages, while Google is responsible for $1.8 million (around $2.59 million). Although these sums are relatively minor for such financially robust companies, the implications of the ruling are substantial. Meta’s responsibility amounts to 70% of the damages, with Google covering the remaining 30%.

The lawsuit was initiated by a 20-year-old woman who claimed she developed an addiction to YouTube, owned by Google, and Instagram, a Meta platform, due to their engaging and attention-capturing design features.

The jury found that both Google and Meta were negligent in their app designs and failed to adequately warn users about the potential dangers associated with their use. This case could catalyze a broader movement toward holding tech companies accountable for the impact of their platforms on mental health.

The jury concluded that Google and Meta were ‌negligent in the design ‌of both apps ⁠and failed to warn about their dangers.

“Today’s verdict is a referendum — from a jury, to an entire industry — that accountability has arrived,” the plaintiff’s lead counsel said in a statement.

Shares of Meta closed 0.3 per cent higher, and Alphabet shares finished 0.2 per cent higher, following the verdict and damages awards.

Meta disagrees with the verdict and its lawyers are “evaluating our legal options”, a company spokesperson said.

Google plans to appeal, company spokesperson José Castañeda said.

He said the verdict misrepresents YouTube, “which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site”.

The plaintiffs in the Los Angeles proceeding focused on platform design rather than content, making it harder for the companies to avert liability.

Snapchat owner Snap and TikTok ⁠were also defendants in the trial.

Both settled with the plaintiff before it ‌began. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

Mounting criticism against social media companies

Large technology companies in the United States have faced mounting criticism in the last decade over child and teen safety.

The debate has now ‌shifted to courts and state governments.

The US Congress has declined to pass comprehensive legislation regulating social media.

At least 20 US states enacted laws last year on social media usage and children, according to the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures, an organisation that tracks state laws.

The legislation includes bills that regulate the use of mobile phones in schools and require users to verify their ages to open a social media account.

NetChoice, a trade association backed by tech companies such as Meta and Google, is seeking to invalidate age verification requirements in ‌court.

A separate social media addiction case brought by several US states and school districts against technology companies is expected to go to trial this year in federal court in Oakland, California.

Another state trial is slated to begin in Los Angeles in July, said Matthew Bergman, one of the lawyers leading the cases for the plaintiffs.

It will involve Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat.

Separately, this week a New Mexico jury found Meta violated state law in a lawsuit 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 those platforms.

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