Jury Rules Tech Giants Hooked Kids, Awards $6M

0:00It's March 26. I'm Corey with The Story, and this is Sydney News Today, your AI-powered local news. A jury in Los Angeles has ruled that Instagram and YouTube were built to hook young users, leading to a big win for a 20-year-old woman who sued. Over her childhood addiction worsening her mental health issues. She started on YouTube at 8-6 and Instagram at 9, spending all day on endless feeds, auto play, and notifications that kept her glued. The jury awarded her $3 million in damages, plus another $3 million in punitive damages, with meta on the hook for 70% and Google for 30%. Snap and TikTok settled earlier this year. This March the first big courtroom victory holding tech firms accountable for addictive designs, not just content. It's a bell with a case amid thousands of similar suits across the United States, including from attorneys general in over 40 states targeting A, youth, mental health crisis. Experts say it shifts blame from kids and parents to platforms that prioritize engagement

1:02over safety. In Australia, it backs the government's recent under-16 social media ban and updates the cover addictive algorithms, endless scrolls, and notifications. Both companies plan appeals, and while no immediate platform changes are ordered, upcoming trials could force fixes and fund youth protection, programs signaling tougher times ahead for social media giants.