THE LATEST | CANADANew York Times: A jury found the companies harmed a young user with design features that were addictive and led to her mental health distress…
Big Tech critics hail ‘Big Tobacco moment’ in landmark social media verdict
Parents for Safe Online Spaces, a group that has been pushing Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act, said Wednesday that the jury’s decision was a “rare and momentous win” in a years-long fight.
“Finally, a jury said, enough,” the group said. “Social media companies can no longer behave with such callous disregard for the health and well-being of their youngest users. Finally, they are being made to pay a price for their greed.”…
The Social-Media Shakedown Begins
But companies aren’t required to design products to prevent abuse or excessive consumption. A jury in New Mexico on Tuesday nonetheless found Meta liable in a separate case brought by the state AG for $375 million for failing to protect young people from online dangers. The temptation to find corporate scapegoats for social ills is great…
Verdicts against Meta, YouTube reshape legal protections for Big Tech
Given the huge number of other cases stacked up in the courts, experts said Meta and other tech firms are facing massive potential payouts.
“This is just the leading edge,” said Clay Calvert, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank. “Two or three more cases in Los Angeles, verdicts come down in favor of the minor plaintiffs, that would really be troubling for social media platforms and probably prompt settlements.”…
Meta, Google Risk Big Tobacco-Like Fallout After Addiction Trial
Unless the verdict is overturned on appeal, the companies may need to change how their products work, a move that could jeopardize the valuable advertising businesses that keep platforms like Instagram and YouTube so profitable…