Tech giants Meta and YouTube have been ordered to pay 3 million dollars in damages for intentionally creating addiction in a user from California.
A jury of the Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled that tech giants Meta and YouTube are responsible on all counts in a case in which they were accused of intentionally creating addiction in a now 20-year-old woman from California, as well as for damaging her mental health.
This is a landmark ruling that could set a precedent for hundreds of similar cases in which it is claimed that tech companies should be held responsible for harmful design decisions, CNN reports. The decision could lead to major changes in the way social media platforms operate, especially for young users.
The jury concluded that Meta and YouTube were negligent in the design of their platforms, that they knew their design was dangerous, that they failed to warn about those risks, and that they caused significant harm to the plaintiff.
The American woman Kaylee and her mother sued Meta, Google’s YouTube, Snap Inc. (owner of Snapchat), and TikTok, accusing them of intentionally hooking her on the internet as a child and causing her anxiety, body dysmorphia, and suicidal thoughts. Snap and TikTok settled the case before the trial began.
The jury’s decision, which deliberated for eight days, came after a seven-week trial at the Los Angeles Superior Court. The companies were ordered to pay a total of 3 million dollars in damages, and CNN reports that additional punitive damages may also be awarded. The jurors found that Meta bears 70% of the responsibility for Kaylee’s injuries, and YouTube 30%.
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Source: Jutarnji Foto: Daily Times