Juries Hold Meta and Google Accountable for Harm to Young Users

Juries in California and New Mexico ruled this week that Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, and Google's YouTube bore responsibility for harm caused to young users on their platforms. Both companies say they plan to appeal.

The back-to-back decisions mark the first time courts have held social media giants accountable for negligent and deceptive practices tied to teen users, and experts say the rulings could permanently change the industry.

Central to both cases was evidence that the companies were aware of the damage their platforms caused. "People within these companies knew," said Matt Binder, senior tech reporter at Mashable. "They performed internal studies and knew that these were the results to children due to the usage of their platform."

The verdicts also establish a legal roadmap for more than a thousand similar cases waiting in the pipeline. Jacob Ward of TheRipCurrent.com called it a turning point, saying the rulings hand future plaintiffs "a sword that is absolutely going to carve up and change social media for all time."

Industry experts say the pressure on Big Tech now goes beyond fines. Binder noted that all major companies will need to implement real changes, "not just because they are being fined, but because the regulations being brought about are much worse than anything else that can happen to them."

Appeals from both Meta and Google are expected to move forward in the coming months.