"A California state court case over whether Instagram and YouTube harmed a woman's mental health through addictive app design kicks off on Monday with opening statements, in a test of whether Big Tech platforms can be held liable for harming kids. The 20-year-old woman identified as K.G.M. filed the lawsuit against Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms and Alphabet's Google, which owns YouTube. She says the attention-grabbing design of the platforms got her addicted to them at a young age, according to court filings."
"The woman's lawyers aim to show that the companies were negligent in their design of the apps, that they failed to warn the public about the risks, and that the platforms were a substantial factor in her injuries. If they succeed, the jury will consider whether to award her damages for pain and suffering, and could also impose punitive damages."
"Meta and Google plan to defend themselves from the claims by pointing to other factors in K.G.M.'s life, laying out their work on youth safety, and trying to distance themselves from users who upload harmful content. Under U.S. law, internet companies are largely shielded from liability for material their users post. If the jury in this case rejects that defense, it could pave the way for other lawsuits claiming the platforms are harmful by design."
A California state court trial begins with opening statements over whether Instagram and YouTube harmed a woman's mental health through addictive app design. The 20-year-old plaintiff, identified as K.G.M., alleges the platforms' attention-grabbing design caused addiction at a young age, fueling depression and suicidal thoughts. She sued Meta Platforms and Alphabet's Google seeking damages and punitive relief. Lawyers argue negligence in app design, failure to warn, and substantial causation. Defendants will cite other life factors, youth-safety efforts, and distance from harmful user content. A verdict against the companies could weaken liability shields and spur many similar lawsuits; Mark Zuckerberg may testify and the trial could run into March.
Read at Newsmax
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