A California state court on Monday will begin hearing a case over whether Instagram and YouTube harmed a woman’s mental health by designing addictive apps. A 20-year-old woman has filed a lawsuit against Google, the parent company of important social media applications such as Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, the Meta platform and YouTube owner Alphabet, Reuters reported.
Similar to the woman’s claim, the companies face nearly 2,300 similar lawsuits filed in federal court by parents, school districts and state attorneys general. (Reuters file photo)According to court filings, he claimed that the attention-grabbing design of the platforms made him addicted to them at a young age and that the apps fueled his depression and suicidal thoughts, leading him to try to hold the companies accountable. His lawyers took aim at the fact that the companies were negligent in the design of their apps, that they failed to warn the public about the risks and that the platforms were a significant factor in his injuries.
If he wins the case, the jury will consider whether to award him compensation for pain and suffering, and may also impose punitive damages on the companies.
Accused organizations can likely defend themselves by pointing to other aspects of his life, highlighting their work to protect youth and trying to distance themselves from users who upload harmful content.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to be called as a potential witness in a hearing that could continue into March. TikTok and Snap settled with him before trial.
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Big test for Big TechThe case will test whether big tech platforms can be held responsible for harming children.
The ruling could also smooth the way for similar lawsuits in state courts and shake up the industry’s longstanding U.S. legal defense against user damage claims.
Google, Meta, TikTok and Snap are facing thousands of lawsuits in California.
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Similar to his claims, the companies face about 2,300 similar lawsuits filed in federal court by parents, school districts and state attorneys general. Under United States law, Internet companies are largely shielded from liability for material posted by their users. If the jury in this case rejects that defense, it could pave the way for other lawsuits that claim the platforms are harmful by design.
