In a landmark decision, a Los Angeles jury has found that social media company Meta and video streaming service YouTube harmed a young user with addictive design features that led to mental health distress, including body dysmorphia, depression and suicidal thoughts.
Commentators have referred to this as social media’s “Big Tobacco” moment and further lawsuits are pending. The verdict has escalated calls for more regulation of social media platforms across jurisdictions.
Countries like Australia, France and Spain have already introduced age restrictions for social media use. Canada still lacks online harms legislation.
