"The Snapchat parent was among those being sued by a plaintiff named K.G.M, a 19-year-old woman who alleges that she developed mental health problems after becoming addicted to social media apps. The California case is the first of three bellwether trials consolidating thousands of lawsuits. Last year a Los Angeles judge ruled that the platforms' design features may be responsible for harm and not just the third-party content posted on sites and apps."
"Beasley Allen, a law firm involved in the lawsuits on the plaintiff side, has said the cases could have profound consequences including billions of dollars in damages, forcing changes in platform design and new US regulations governing how tech firms interact with minors. The litigation is being compared to past landmark cases against big tobacco and opioid manufacturers industries that were held accountable for public health harms after years of denial, the firm said in a statement last year."
Snap settled a civil lawsuit in California shortly before trial over allegations that Snapchat's design contributed to a user's addiction and mental health problems. Other major platforms named as defendants — Meta/Instagram, ByteDance/TikTok and Alphabet/YouTube — have not settled and remain scheduled for bellwether trials. The California case is the first of three consolidated trials representing thousands of lawsuits. A Los Angeles judge previously ruled platform design features may cause harm beyond third-party content. Plaintiffs' lawyers warn of potential billions in damages, forced design changes and new US regulations affecting interactions with minors.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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