| A Los Angeles jury held Meta and Google’s YouTube liable in a landmark social media addiction trialyesterday, awarding the plaintiff $3M in compensatory damages. The decision could influence more than 1,600 similar lawsuits from more than 350 families and over 250 school districts.The case centers on a now-20-year-old woman identified as KGM who began using social media as a child. KGM accused Meta and YouTube of “addictive design,” with notifications and recommendation features she says fostered a decline in her mental health, including body dysmorphia, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Now, after two weeks of deliberations, the jury found Meta and Google negligent in the design and operation of their platform. Meta is being held liable for 70% of the harm, with YouTube responsible for 30%.The decision has been likened to the tobacco trials of the 1990s. Revisit the “60 Minutes” interview with tobacco whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand |
