Jury members recognized that the design of social media was intentionally developed with the potential to create addiction in users, which was not properly indicated in the warnings. It is reported that the court's decision could set a precedent, forcing tech companies to reconsider their agreements and approaches to user safety. Both defendants, Meta and Alphabet, plan to appeal the decision.
In the trial, the plaintiff's lawyers focused specifically on the design features of YouTube and Instagram, rather than their content. They were able to convince the jury that the companies intentionally created platforms capable of causing addiction, especially in children.
Meta's defense cited difficulties in the plaintiff's family life, claiming that her psychological problems were related to this, rather than to social media use. TikTok and Snapchat were also involved in the lawsuit but reached an out-of-court settlement before the hearings began, according to Bloomberg.
Global tech companies have faced criticism for years over their platforms that can lead to addiction in minors and result in mental health disorders. In the United States, there is still no federal law regulating social media, and most regulations are introduced at the state level or as a result of court rulings.
In 2025, about 20 U.S. states enacted laws regulating social media use by minors. It is expected that several more landmark decisions on similar lawsuits will be made by the end of 2026. This week in New Mexico, jurors found Meta guilty of creating a threat to children, as reported by Bloomberg.
Over the past year, several countries, including Australia, France, Spain, Portugal, and Malaysia, have introduced bans or strict restrictions on social media use by children and teenagers. Similar bills are currently being considered in the parliaments of Germany, Greece, Denmark, Norway, and Slovenia.
The record of Google and Meta will pay an American $6 million for social media addiction first appeared on K-News.
