Meta and Google have announced plans to appeal a California court ruling on Wednesday that held them responsible for the depression of a young woman by designing their apps to be addictive and harmful to adolescents.
A 12-person jury in Los Angeles ordered both companies to pay $6 million (€5.19 million) in damages and interest. Meta was deemed responsible for 70% of the amount, while YouTube was accountable for the remaining 30%.
The initial damages were set at $3 million, but an additional $3 million was added in punitive damages.
The jury found Instagram’s owner Meta and YouTube negligent for operating a product that harmed children and teenagers, and failing to warn about those dangers.
The decision dealt a blow to the companies that have historically been shielded by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
It could set a precedent for thousands of plaintiffs in the United States who claim major platforms are fuelling a social network addiction epidemic.
A Meta spokesperson said the company would contest the ruling and file an appeal. Adolescent mental health is a very complex issue and cannot be attributed to a single application, the spokesperson added.
Google representative José Castaneda argued that the case demonstrated misunderstanding about YouTube which, he said, is a streaming platform that is responsibly designed, not a social media platform.
