Can I sue social media companies for addiction?

In a well publicised case in the USA, Meta and Google have lost a landmark case brought by a young woman, who claimed to have suffered harm as a result of addiction to social media platforms owned and operated by the two companies.

What is the social media addiction case?

A young woman, only identified as K.G.M or "Kaley", has succeeded in her case against Meta and Google in which she claimed that the tech giants intentionally built addictive social media platforms which damaged her mental health. 

In her claim for damages, she alleged that she had suffered from anxiety and depression after using the Meta owned social media platform, Instagram, and the Google owned video streaming platform, YouTube, during her childhood. 

K.G.M’s legal team argued during the case that platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube, have purposely designed features, like an infinitely scrollable feed and video autoplay, which are engineered to be addictive and keep users scrolling. 

Both Meta and Google defended the case and denied that their platforms were engineered to be addictive or that they had caused K.G.M’s mental health struggles. 

After a lengthy trial, a Los Angeles jury ruled in favour of K.G.M and found Meta liable for $4.2 million in damages and Google for $1.8 million in damages. Both Meta and Google have expressed their intentions to appeal the decision and a spokesperson for Google stated "This case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site."

It is widely anticipated that the appeals process could take some time, but unless and until an appeal is successful, the judgment against these social media companies stands.

Can I sue Meta or Google for social media addiction?

This is a landmark case, that will have significant implications for claimants not only in the United States but also in other jurisdictions, such as England and Wales. Claims in England and Wales often follow novel claims brought in the US, and so it is likely that similar claims will be brought in this jurisdiction, before too long.

Claims for social media addiction in England and Wales are likely to be based upon psychological harm (a type of personal injury claim) and would require expert evidence, from medics and technical advisors, to confirm that harm had been caused to the individual by the addictive algorithms built into social media apps and platforms. 

The courts in England and Wales do not have to follow the stance taken by the courts in the US, but the arguments and reasoning put forward could well be persuasive if anyone in the UK wants to sue the social media platforms, and claim they have been harmed by addiction to Instagram, YouTube, other platforms such as Facebook and TikTok, or even games.

The ruling on this case shifts the focus from restricting access for young people, or making them responsible for their own actions, to a more technical approach whereby the court and individuals will be able to hold social media platforms responsible for creating addictive algorithms. Companies such as Meta and Google will need to reassess the features on their various apps and platforms and create safeguards if they want to avoid a further wave of claims. 

This is part of a growing trend and what is widely regarded as a backlash against the tech giants. There has been a recent focus in various countries across the globe about the impact of social media, and access to phones generally, on young people. Australia recently implemented a ban on social media for anyone under 16 and the UK government is considering similar restrictions. 

If you feel that you have been harmed psychologically by a social media or other addiction, contact us to speak to one of the expert lawyers.