Joseph Otsibah 
A jury in Los Angeles has delivered a major and unusual victory for a young woman who sued Meta and Google, claiming their platforms contributed to her addiction to social media as a child.
The jurors concluded that both companies deliberately designed their platforms to be addictive, which negatively affected the mental health of the now 20-year-old woman, identified as Kaley. The decision could have a big impact on many similar cases currently in U.S. courts.
After a five-week trial, the jury found Meta mostly responsible—assigning 70% of the blame—while YouTube, owned by Google, was held 30% responsible.
Meta disagreed with the outcome, stating that although Kaley has faced challenges in her life, her use of Instagram was not the cause or a major contributor to those struggles. The company says it is considering its next legal steps.
During the trial, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified, pointing out the company’s policy that prohibits children under 13 from using its platforms. However, when shown internal reports suggesting that younger children still accessed these platforms, he admitted the company wished it had improved its age-detection systems sooner, but believes progress has been made over time.
Although Google was part of the case through YouTube, much of the trial focused on Meta and Instagram. Other companies, including Snap and TikTok, were initially involved but settled with Kaley before the trial began.
News Source: BBC
About The Author
Joseph Attoh 
