Meta, Google to challenge social media addiction verdict

A long-debated theory that social media sites or applications can cause personal injury has been validated after Los Angeles jurors handed Meta (NASDAQ: META) and Google’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) YouTube a guilty verdict with regard to social media addiction, a decision that may open more lawsuits over users’ well-being and one that the involved tech giants seek to appeal.

Meta, the company that owns social media apps Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and video streaming platform YouTube, was found guilty last week on charges of designing their platforms in a way that would capture the attention of younger audiences through continuous engagement without considering their well-being, the Associated Press reported.

The landmark lawsuit was filed by a 20-year-old woman, identified only by her initials K.G.M., who claimed to have developed social media addiction as a child that led to mental health struggles, which she said worsened over time as she became more exposed to social media apps as she grew up.

The plaintiff shall receive $3 million in damages, with jurors recommending an additional $3 million in punitive damages. A BBC report stated that 70% of the penalty ($4.2 million) will be shouldered by Meta, while Google will bear the remaining 30% ($1.8 million).

While parents of children going through a similar situation to the claimant celebrated in victory, Meta and YouTube’s parent company, Google, voiced their dismay, saying that they are looking to file an appeal.

Meanwhile, Google said the case misunderstood YouTube, explaining that it was built as a streaming platform, not as a social media site.

The verdict is the second for Meta, which was tried in New Mexico for breaching parts of the state’s Unfair Practices Act. This series of lawsuits not only dented Meta’s reputation as a responsible operator of prominent social media platforms on the Internet, but also served as a “breaking point” between social media firms and the general public, said Mike Proulx, a research director for advisory firm Forrester.

“Negative sentiment toward social media has been building for years, and now it’s finally boiled over,” he said.

In recent months, several countries have banned or announced plans to restrict social media access for children and teens due to growing concerns over its impact on mental health. Among those that spearheaded this is Australia, which banned citizens under the age of 16 from accessing social media services like TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and Threads. The United Kingdom, meanwhile, is conducting a pilot program that would include banning social media, digital curfews, and time limits on apps.

“These pilots will give us the evidence we need to take the next steps, informed by the experiences of families themselves,” U.K. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told the BBC.

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