00:00Meta and YouTube have been dealt an unprecedented blow that could force the tech giants to rethink
00:05how their platforms are built. A Los Angeles jury has found the companies liable for harming
00:10a young woman because of their addictive design. 20-year-old Californian Kaylee GM said she
00:16developed depression, chronic anxiety and body image issues from early and intense exposure
00:21to social media. Until now, social media giants have been protected in the United States by
00:26Section 230, which exempts them from any liability for what users post. But Kaylee's lawyers focused on
00:33challenging the very design of the apps themselves, arguing they were engineered to trap and addict
00:38young users. We've sent a message with this that you will be held accountable for the features.
00:44The jury found the two companies were negligent in the design and operation of their platforms
00:48and did not warn about the risks they posed to minors. TikTok and Snapchat were initially part
00:54of the complaint too, but chose to sign a confidential settlement to avoid going to court. Meta and
00:59Google, YouTube's parent company, have been ordered to pay $6 million in damages to the plaintiff. Meta
01:05bears 70% of the responsibility, with YouTube covering the remaining 30%. Meta and Google have
01:11already said they will appeal the decision. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as
01:16every case is different and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online. The trial was
01:23marked by the testimony of Mark Zuckerberg. The Meta CEO acknowledged that his company could have acted
01:28sooner to limit access for children under 13. Both companies maintained that Kaylee's mental health
01:33struggles had nothing to do with their platforms, with Meta's lawyer pointing to her life at home and a
01:38turbulent relationship with her parents. The trial comes just after another jury in the US state of New
01:44Mexico imposed a $375 million fine on Meta, penalizing it for endangering children. The two cases have set
01:52a precedent for thousands of similar complaints in the United States. This is going to help us in our
01:57efforts educating families and our communities and driving that change that we so desperately need on
02:03these platforms.
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