U.S. jury rules social platforms responsible for addiction among minors

A jury in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, California, ruled on the 25th that the American Metaverse Platform Company and Google are liable in a lawsuit concerning minors’ addiction to social media, resulting in severe mental health impacts on a young user. Both companies must pay the plaintiff $3 million. The plaintiff is a 20-year-old woman from California. She accused the Metaverse Platform Company’s photo wall and Google’s YouTube, among other social media platforms, of enhancing user stickiness and dependency through features like infinite scrolling, algorithm recommendations, and auto-playing videos, leading to excessive use during her teenage years and resulting in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and self-harm thoughts. According to American media reports, the trial began last month, and after over 40 hours of deliberation, the jury ruled that the two companies must pay the plaintiff $3 million in compensatory damages. The Metaverse Platform Company is responsible for about 70% of the damages, with the remainder borne by Google. Additionally, the jury found that both companies acted with malice, oppression, or fraud in harming minors through their social platforms and recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages. The final compensation total will be determined by the judge. Both the Metaverse Platform Company and Google have expressed disagreement with the ruling and are assessing their response options. The case initially also involved TikTok and Snap, but both companies reached a settlement with the plaintiff before the trial. American media reports state that the ruling is landmark, marking the first time a jury has found that tech companies bear at least part of the responsibility for the dangers faced by adolescents due to excessive immersion in social media. The trial outcome could impact thousands of consolidated lawsuits against social media companies. (Xinhua News Agency)