This is a first in American justice. A jury in Los Angeles decided on Wednesday that Meta and Google deliberately built social media platforms that create addiction – and that this directly affected the mental health of a young woman, reports BBC.
The case concerns Kaley, a 20-year-old who sued the two companies for the social media addiction she developed in her childhood. The verdict, communicated to Judge Carolyn Kuhl, vindicates her.
After a trial of about five weeks, the jury established responsibilities: Meta – the company that owns Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp – bears 70% of the blame for the harm suffered by Kaley, and YouTube, owned by Google, 30%.
Meta’s defense argued that, although the young woman went through difficult times, using Instagram did not cause or significantly contribute to her problems.
The jury disagreed.
“Respectfully, we disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options,” Meta said in a statement.