dpa/ap/rtr/ | The tech giants Alphabet and Meta have been found liable in a landmark trial over dependence on social media, with damages running into the millions. Jurors in Los Angeles concluded that the platforms YouTube (Alphabet) and Instagram (Meta) acted negligently and failed to adequately inform users about risks, according to US media reporting from the courtroom. The companies disputed the allegations and announced they would appeal.
The case concerned the design and mechanisms of the platforms. The 20-year-old plaintiff, who appeared under the initials KGM, accused the providers of deliberately shaping their services in a way that would make users addicted. The woman reportedly began using the platforms as a child—and she attributes her depression and anxiety to this.
The jurors awarded the plaintiff a restitution amount of $3 million, with 70 percent to be paid by Meta. In a second step, they additionally ordered $3 million in punitive damages, to be borne by the companies in the same proportion.
“We do not agree with the verdict and are reviewing our legal options,” Meta said. Alphabet spokesman Jose Castañeda said the ruling mischaracterizes YouTube, describing it as a responsibly built streaming platform and not a social media service. In the trial, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri also testified. Both rejected the allegations and said they were committed to protecting young users.
Different Legal Landscape in Germany
Originally the lawsuit targeted not only YouTube and Instagram but also other platforms. However, the companies behind the initially also-sued competitors Snapchat and TikTok escaped the case through a settlement.
The digital-specialist lawyer Christian Solmecke called the jurors’ verdict a “real bombshell” — not only for Meta and Alphabet but for the entire social media industry. Solmecke noted, however, that a one-to-one comparable case in Germany is currently hardly conceivable because the legal system here works differently. “We have no jury trials and no punitive damages.”
Only the day before, jurors in the US state of New Mexico had ordered Meta to pay a $375 million fine because, in the jury’s view, the company knowingly did not do enough to protect young users. Meta said it would also appeal here.
Consumer Center Criticizes Autoplay Setting
The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) urged that digital services must be designed to enable safe use. Children and youths have a right to participate in the digital space without risking their mental health or safety. “Harmful features such as autoplay and negatively reinforcing recommendation feeds must be turned off for everyone from the start,” said association chair Ramona Pop.
In a position paper, the association therefore calls for profiles to be set to private by default and location sharing to be deactivated. Furthermore, tracking and personalized advertising should be banned and sensitive functions such as camera and microphone should be activated only with explicit consent. If adults want to enable critical features, they should be able to do so after age verification. A nationwide age check, as currently favored by the CDU and SPD, would thus not be necessary.
