Juries Hold Platforms Liable for Addiction

A jury found Meta and YouTube negligent for design features (infinite scroll, recommender algorithms) that a plaintiff said caused anxiety and depression, awarding $3 million so far. The verdict apportioned liability (Meta 70%) and follows settlements by TikTok and Snapchat, indicating courts may treat addictive UX as grounds for personal‑injury damages. — If courts accept this theory widely, platforms could face large financial penalties and be forced to redesign core algorithms and interfaces, shifting the business model and creating new regulatory and public‑health responsibilities.