March 25 - Recent jury verdicts in California and New Mexico are scrutinizing social media companies like Meta and Google.
In Los Angeles, Meta and Google were ordered to pay $6 million to a 20-year-old claiming depression from addictive design features. In New Mexico, Meta was fined $375 million for misleading safety claims.
These cases test whether Big Tech can be held accountable for app design linked to child harm. Meta and others face over 2,400 similar lawsuits.
Legal questions include liability under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and how much platforms can shield themselves from design-focused claims.
Next steps involve appeals and further trials. Meta plans to appeal the $375M verdict; Google and others may follow suit.