tech
The Verdict Against Meta and Google Could Alter Social Media
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TL;DR
- A jury awarded $4.2 million to a plaintiff against Meta and $1.8 million against YouTube, finding their platforms' features contributed to her mental health problems.
- The plaintiff alleged addictive features like infinite scroll and content recommendation algorithms caused her depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia.
- This case is seen as potentially significant for future litigation against social media companies, similar to how early lawsuits against tobacco companies established addictiveness.
- A crucial difference in social media cases is the First Amendment protection afforded to speech services, which was not applicable to tobacco products.