Court Rules Social Media Platforms Can Be Liable for Addiction by Design

A Los Angeles jury has ruled that Meta and YouTube were negligent in designing their platforms, which led to a young woman, known in court documents as Kaley, becoming addicted to social media. The court awarded her US$6 million in total damages, split equally between compensatory and punitive damages, with Meta responsible for 70% and YouTube 30%. Kaley argued that features like infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmic notifications, and beauty filters exacerbated her mental health struggles, including depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, and suicidal thoughts. Other platforms, including TikTok and Snap, settled before the trial began. This case, filed in 2023 when Kaley was 17, is the first of three bellwether trials in California, drawn from a pool of over 1,600 plaintiffs. The legal strategy focused on product design rather than user-generated content, bypassing protections from Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Evidence included internal Meta documents and whistleblower testimony showing that the platforms deliberately targeted young users and engineered features to maximise engagement. The verdict challenges the long-standing narrative that social media overuse is solely a matter of willpower or parenting. While Meta and YouTube are appealing, the case could influence future regulatory action and potentially lead to more structural changes in social media design, though significant alterations are unlikely in the short term. The ruling represents a major shift in recognising platform responsibility for addictive features.