Jurors in two U.S. cases have found Meta and Google liable over alleged harm to minors, marking a pivotal challenge to tech's long-standing legal immunity.
In Los Angeles, a jury ordered Meta and Google to pay $6 million after ruling their platforms contributed to a young woman’s depression and suicidal thoughts due to addictive design. The platforms were found responsible not for user content, but for how their algorithms and features are engineered.
In New Mexico, Meta was separately ordered to pay $375 million for allegedly misleading users about child safety and enabling sexual exploitation through its platforms.
Both cases circumvented Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act-the 1996 law shielding tech firms from liability over user-generated content-by focusing on platform design rather than speech.
Legal experts say appellate courts may now redefine the scope of tech liability. These rulings could impact not only social media giants but also platforms like Roblox, which faces over 130 similar federal lawsuits.
Meta and Google plan to appeal. The outcomes could ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court, where justices have shown growing interest in re-evaluating Section 230.
"Courts are increasingly distinguishing platform conduct from third-party speech," said Gregory Dickinson, tech law expert at University of Nebraska College of Law. "This shift could reshape online accountability."
With more than 2,400 related cases centralized in California, the legal pressure is mounting on Big Tech to reform youth protections-or face sweeping liability.