Within the space of 24 hours, tech giant Meta lost two landmark court cases in two states related to the alleged harms of social media for children.
In a Los Angeles lawsuit, a jury found on Wednesday that Meta and YouTube’s negligent designs of their social media platforms were a substantial factor in causing harm to the mental health of a young woman. On Tuesday, in a separate case in New Mexico, a jury concluded that Meta misled consumers about the safety of its platforms and enabled child exploitation. That case was brought by the state’s Justice Department.
The verdicts could open the way for similar lawsuits by other states and individuals. Meta said it will appeal both cases.
Why We Wrote This
Are social platforms such as Instagram and YouTube designed to be addictive and harmful to audiences, including young people in particular? Juries in both California and New Mexico found Meta liable for harming children.
In the Los Angeles trial, the 20-year-old plaintiff, identified only by her first name, Kaley, testified that she began using Google’s YouTube at age 6 and then Meta’s Instagram three years later. At issue was whether YouTube and Instagram are addictive. Kaley’s lawyers claimed that the platforms hook children by design.
The jury in Los Angeles returned its verdict after nine days of deliberation. It was split 10-2 on the question of whether Meta was negligent in its design, whether that neglect was a significant factor in causing harm to Kaley’s mental health, and whether the company knew of the dangers Instagram poses to children. (At least nine of the 12 jurors had to agree, for the companies to be held liable.) Meta and YouTube were ordered to pay $3 million – 70% and 30% of that amount, respectively – to the plaintiff.
In a joint statement, the four law firms that teamed to sue Meta and YouTube declared that the verdict is a signal to the entire industry that it will be held accountable.
“For years, social media companies have profited from targeting children while concealing their addictive and dangerous design features,” the lawyers wrote.
Meta had argued that Kaley’s challenges predated her use of social media. It also touted safety features, such as parental controls, teen accounts, and age-related restrictions for mature content. YouTube said its data showed that Kaley’s usage of the site declined over time.
Meta also issued a statement in which a spokesperson said, “We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”
On Tuesday, New Mexico’s Justice Department won its case against Meta for violating consumer protection laws. A jury found Meta liable for $375 million for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and enabling child exploitation. New Mexico hailed the win as the first time that a state has prevailed against a tech firm for allegedly harming minors.
“The jury’s verdict is a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety,” said New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez.
In its response to the outcome of the New Mexico lawsuit, Meta stated: “We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal. We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors or harmful content.”