In a groundbreaking ruling, a California state judge overseeing a consolidated lawsuit asserted that tech giants, including Meta, Snapchat, and other social media companies, cannot be considered mere products. This pivotal decision, delivered by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl, has set a fiery legal precedent by stating that plaintiffs’ negligence claims are not shielded by the First Amendment or federal law.
Social Media Giants Negligence Claims: Novel Arguments Unveiled
Judge Kuhl’s verdict is the first of its kind to address novel arguments about whether tech giants can be held accountable for the detrimental effects of their algorithms on users’ mental health. The ruling comes as a result of consolidated litigation brought by concerned parents and school districts who claim that these platforms intentionally ensnare their children through content driven by algorithms designed to foster addiction.
“The common law’s ability to adapt basic negligence concepts to new social problems appears better suited to providing legal regulation of this new technology,” Judge Kuhl remarked in her nearly 90-page ruling.
High-Stakes Battle Continues
This ruling follows a series of legal battles in California, where parents have persistently asserted that social media use among teenagers is the root cause of mental health problems. Their grievances extend to alleging that these companies failed to issue warnings about the risks of social media addiction, including suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, and depression. A parallel legal battle with similar claims is underway in a multidistrict litigation in California federal court.
