Jury Finds Meta, Google Liable for Addictive App Features

0:00A jury in Los Angeles just found Meta and Google liable for designing addictive features on Instagram and YouTube that harmed a 20-year-old user. They awarded her $6 million in damages, marking the first big win in product liability cases against social media companies. This ruling side steps the usual legal protections these platforms have for user content, focusing instead on their own app designs. Meta and Google say they'll appeal right away, calling teen mental health too complex to blame on one app. Experts warn this could force the companies to tweak notifications, age checks, and other hooks that keep users scrolling, which might cut into there. Huge ad profits. Lawyers for other plaintiffs feel the momentum building from this and a similar New Mexico verdict. Thousands more suits are lined up, including from over a thousand school districts claiming the app's hurt students' focus. The next major trial hits court in June, with a Kentucky school district leading the charge. All makers from both parties are eyeing this as a push for kids online safety laws, while

1:03ongoing headlines could pressure the tech giants toward. Sediments to dodge the reputational damage. This has been Toronto News Today, powered by AI.