US Court Finds Meta, Google Liable Over Social Media Addiction Risks

A US court in California has ruled that young people are endangered by addictive social media features intentionally developed by Meta and Google. The decision is seen as a significant step in holding companies accountable for the impact of social media platform design on users.

The case concerned a single plaintiff, Kaylee, who is now 20 years old. The trial proceeded against Meta for Instagram and against Google for YouTube. The plaintiffs' legal team, comprising father Mark Lanier and his daughters Rachel and Sarah Lanier, described themselves as "Good Samaritans" and said the spirit of the Gospel greatly influences their work.

This ruling paves the way for other potential plaintiffs who claim social media has caused significant harm to teenagers to pursue legal action.