Juries Find Meta and Google Liable for Child Safety
Juries in California and New Mexico held Meta and Google liable for harming young users. The rulings challenge federal laws shielding tech firms from lawsuits.
Recent jury verdicts in the United States have found Meta Platforms, Inc. and Alphabet Inc. liable for harms related to child safety and mental health, potentially setting the stage for a landmark legal battle over the liability protections enjoyed by technology firms. The decisions mark the first time juries have held social media giants accountable in a growing wave of litigation targeting the industry’s impact on young users.
In a Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday, a jury found both Meta and Google liable for a young woman’s depression and suicidal ideation, which she attributed to an addiction to Instagram and YouTube. The jury ordered the companies to pay a combined $6 million in damages. This followed a separate verdict on Tuesday in New Mexico, where jurors ordered Meta to pay $375 million after concluding the company misled the public regarding product safety and failed to prevent the sexual exploitation of children on its platforms.
