"Lawyers for social media companies will be working overtime in the coming weeks as several major trials get underway addressing the potential harms to children caused by popular sites and apps. At the same time, efforts to deflect at least one major future case have fallen short, increasing pressure on tech giants to agree to an independent assessment of how they protect teen users."
"Much of the focus is on a bellwether trial in Los Angeles that seeks to hold Meta and Google responsible for harms suffered by children who use their products. Plaintiffs allege that services like Instagram and YouTube are designed to keep users, especially kids, engaged. Opening statements were held Monday, with the plaintiffs' lawyer arguing that Meta and Google have "engineered addiction in children's brains.""
Multiple major trials are beginning that focus on potential harms to children from popular social media sites and apps. Tech companies face increased pressure to accept independent assessments of how they protect teen users. The combination of legal actions could produce both financial damages and changes to engagement-driving algorithms. A bellwether Los Angeles trial seeks to hold Meta and Google responsible, with plaintiffs alleging platforms like Instagram and YouTube are designed to keep children engaged and "engineered addiction in children's brains." Approximately 1,500 similar lawsuits exist. Meta and Google deny the allegations; TikTok and Snap settled prior to trial.
Read at Fast Company
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