SNS Addiction Lawsuits: Meta and Google Ordered to Pay $6 Million

A U.S. Court jury has ruled that Meta (parent company of Instagram and Facebook) and Google (parent company of YouTube) are responsible for contributing to teenage addiction to social media platforms. The jury ordered the companies to pay $6 million (approximately 9 billion Korean Won) in compensation to the plaintiff, marking a significant development in ongoing legal challenges against social media giants.

The Case and the Ruling

The lawsuit was brought by Kaylee GM, a woman in her 20s, who alleged that addiction to YouTube (starting at age 6) and Instagram (starting at age 9) led to depression and physical disabilities. She sought $3 million in damages, arguing that the platforms were designed to be addictive. The jury awarded a total of $6 million, including punitive damages equal to the plaintiff’s claimed damages.

Meta argued that Kaylee GM’s mental health issues were unrelated to social media leverage, while YouTube contended that its platform is a video-sharing service, akin to television, rather than a social networking service. Despite these defenses, the jury sided with the plaintiff after more than a month of trial and over 40 hours of deliberation.

Broader Legal Landscape

This verdict arrives amidst a growing wave of similar lawsuits across the United States. Approximately 2,000 cases filed by parents and school boards alleging harm from social media are currently in progress. Legal experts suggest this ruling could pave the way for further successful claims against social media companies.

“Hundreds of similar lawsuits are pending in California alone and thousands of similar lawsuits (nationwide) in total,” explained Sarah Krebs, a professor at Cornell University. “If even one ruling like this is made, it will open the door to numerous follow-up lawsuits.”

Settlements and Future Implications

The plaintiff in this case had also filed suit against TikTok and Snap, but reached settlements with those companies before the trial concluded. The outcome of this case is expected to influence future litigation and potentially lead to increased scrutiny of social media platform design and its impact on user well-being.