This lawsuit could actually force Big Tech to completely redesign Reels, Shorts, and TikTok

Another day and another lawsuit served for Meta and Google. However, this time, it looks like the ruling might actually change something in how Big Tech operates its platforms. A Los Angeles jury has found Meta and Google liable for designing addictive products that severely harmed a young user's mental health.

According to the verdict, Meta will bear 70% while Google's YouTube will bear the remaining 30% of the $6 million in damages awarded to the plaintiff, which is a rounding error when compared to the annual revenue of these companies. However, the true threat is the legal precedent this case sets and the blueprint it offers to thousands of other plaintiffs waiting to make their case.

For decades, Big Tech was protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act from liability regarding the content generated by their users. If someone posted harmful content on Instagram or YouTube, the platforms were historically viewed as neutral distributors, not publishers.

The legal strategy of this case, however, was different. Attorneys of this case argued that the platforms themselves functioned as defective products. They said that features such as infinite scrolling, autoplaying videos, and regular push notifications were deliberately engineered to exploit human psychology and trap young and vulnerable users in an endless engagement loop.

By framing it as a product issue itself rather than failure to moderate the content on it, the jury was able to determine that both Google and YouTube were indeed negligent in the design of their platforms and that they failed to adequately warn users about potential dangers. The jury also found the addictive features to be a "substantial factor" due to which the plaintiff developed severe depression, body dysmorphia, and suicidal thoughts after she began using YouTube at age six and Instagram at age nine.

Meta and Google aren't the only platforms facing the heat from regulators and lawmakers for addictive design. Last month, TikTok was also under intense scrutiny for its addictive design choices.

There are hundreds of similar lawsuits filed by families and school districts across the United States, and this case will act as an example for other rulings to follow.

Of course, both Meta and Google said that they will appeal. Google argues that YouTube is a streaming service, not a social network, while Meta says teenage mental health is far too complex to be pinned on a single application.

via Reuters | Cover photo via DepositPhotos.com