tech
March 14, 2026
Meta and Google Trial: Are Infinite Scroll and Autoplay Creating Addicts?
Features woven into the fabric of platforms have been central to landmark social media harm case in US. How do they work?
TL;DR
- A landmark trial against Meta and Google in Los Angeles is examining the role of platform features in social media harm.
- Features like infinite scroll, autoplay videos, and constant notifications are accused of contributing to addictive behavior, especially in children.
- A former Meta employee described infinite scroll as a mechanic promising an endless supply of rewarding content, triggering dopamine hits.
- Internal Meta documents suggest employees were aware of users' 'reward tolerance' and compared Instagram to a drug.
- Autoplay videos, initially disliked by users, increased video consumption and pleased advertisers.
- Notifications and likes are seen as mechanisms that create a 'fear of missing out' and provide rewarding 'little hits of enjoyment'.
- Experts differentiate between 'habitual use,' 'problematic use,' and genuine addiction, with some arguing social media's addictive potential is less severe than substances like nicotine or cocaine.
- Instagram's CEO testified that social media is not 'clinically addictive.'
- The trial's outcome could redefine tech companies' responsibilities regarding their platform design.
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