Meta, YouTube found liable in LA social media trial

Meta, YouTube found liable in LA social media trial

A California jury on Wednesday found social media giants Meta and YouTube liable in a landmark social media addiction trial, determining the companies were negligent in their design or operation of the platforms. 

It caps off the nearly two-month trial against Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google’s YouTube, and marks one of the first high-profile trials surrounding kids’ online safety.

The decision is a major blow for social media companies and could impact hundreds of similar lawsuits against technology firms across the country.

The case in the Los Angeles Superior Court is part of a consolidation of thousands of lawsuits brought by individuals, school districts and states against the social media companies. Another case is expected to play out in federal court.

It stems from a complaint filed by K.G.M., a 20-year-old who started using social media as a kid and says she became addicted to the platforms. Lawyers for the K.G.M. told the court this resulted in or worsened her depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia and suicidality.

The jury determined the companies should pay $3 million in compensatory damages, with Meta expected to pay 70 percent and YouTube 30 percent of that amount.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs called the verdict a “historic moment,” and “bigger than one case.”

A Meta spokesperson told The Hill the company “respectfully disagrees” with the verdict and will appeal.

Read more in a full report at TheHill.com

Welcome to The Hill’s Technology newsletter, I’m Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.

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How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future:

Trump administration settles social media censorship case

The Justice Department has settled a lawsuit over allegations that the Biden administration pressured social media companies to remove or suppress speech. The settlement, filed in a Louisiana federal court, will bar the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Surgeon General’s Office from engaging in such pressure on social media firms for 10 years.  The …

Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez unveil bill to halt data center construction

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) plan to introduce legislation that would bar construction of all new data centers until “strong national safeguards are in place.” The pair announced the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act on Wednesday, which aims to halt construction of AI infrastructure until lawmakers enact measures requiring government reviews of AI products, preventing …

OpenAI shutting down video generator Sora

OpenAI announced Tuesday it will shut down its AI-powered video generator app Sora, but it did not provide further details on the decision.  “We’re saying goodbye to Sora. To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you,” the company wrote Tuesday on the social platform X. “What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing.” ”We’ll share more soon, including …

Lawmakers ramp up fight against sports betting on prediction markets

The political battle over sports betting on prediction markets is heating up as professional leagues dive deeper into the national gambling frenzy. Lawmakers in both parties are attempting to stifle the growing popularity of sports betting on prediction markets as a top Trump administration regulator champions the new and controversial platforms. An unlikely coalition of policymakers — ranging from staunch social conservatives …

News we’ve flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics:

Meta cutting several hundred jobs across divisions (CNBC) 

Musk pauses changes to X’s creator revenue-sharing program (TechCrunch)

Branch out with other reads on The Hill:

‘White noise on steroids’: Aurora City Council to vote on data center regulations as residents clamor for change

AURORA, Ill. (WGN) — The data center debate is sweeping through Chicagoland. Last week, the City of Joliet passed legislation to build the largest data center in the State of Illinois. On Tuesday, the City of Aurora voted on regulations governing new data centers within the municipality. As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, the Aurora City Council (ACC) voted to amend an ordinance governing decibel level maximums emitted from data centers …

Opinions related to tech submitted to The Hill:

NASA reform is a challenge, but a very necessary one

Why tens of millions of Americans now believe the end is near 

The mainstream media is crumbling — it’s about time

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