On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay $3 million in damages to a young woman who successfully argued that the companies’ social media apps were designed to addict children.
The jury decided that Meta would pay the majority of the fine, 70 percent, while YouTube-owner Google is on the hook for 30 percent.
During the six-week trial, the jury heard that Meta and Google designed apps with features like auto-play, infinite scroll and algorithmic recommendations to keep children online. According to CNBC report, the plaintiff, known as KGM, felt trapped in a cycle of constantly using these apps, which caused him to suffer mental distress. He developed “severe physical deterioration, depression and suicidal thoughts” and every incoming notification made it difficult to stop logging in.
At trial, Meta and Google tried to deflect attention from the role the apps played in KGM’s mental decline, arguing that she used the apps to deal with mental health problems that “stemmed from a turbulent childhood and related family issues,” CNBC reported.
Internal documents disclosed to the jury revealed that Meta employees openly discussed how attractive the design features were, and bragged that “teens couldn’t get off Instagram even if they wanted to.” One employee even declared, “Oh my God, IG is a drug,” while comparing all social media platforms to “pushers.”
However, Instagram head Adam Mosseri refused to accept the stance that KGM had become addicted to meta apps, instead suggesting that his use was simply “problematic”.
Similarly, YouTube’s vice president of engineering Christos Goudro argued that YouTube could not be liable for its damages because it “was not designed to maximize time.” The platform also stated throughout the trial that it is not a social media site.
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