Google and Meta to pay millions in damages for user addiction in landmark lawsuit | BBC News

A Los Angeles jury has ordered Meta and Google to pay $6 million in damages to a young woman who sued them, alleging their platforms caused her childhood social media addiction and harmed her mental health. This landmark verdict suggests the companies intentionally designed addictive platforms. Both Meta and Google disagree with the ruling and plan to appeal, with Meta stating that teen mental health is complex and Google arguing YouTube is a streaming platform, not a social media site. The outcome is expected to have significant implications for social media regulation and could influence numerous other ongoing lawsuits against these companies, drawing comparisons to the Big Tobacco litigation. 1. A Los Angeles jury found Meta (Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp) and Google (YouTube) liable for intentionally creating addictive social media platforms. 2. The companies were ordered to pay $6 million in damages to a 20-year-old woman for harm to her mental health due to childhood social media addiction. 3. Both Meta and Google deny the allegations and plan to appeal the verdict. 4. The case is considered a landmark decision with potential to significantly impact social media regulation and design. 5. The litigation is being compared to the legal battles against Big Tobacco in the 1990s, potentially influencing thousands of other lawsuits.