Marketplace Tech Is social media addictive? And are social media companies liable?
Feb 5, 2026
Eric Goldman, law professor and co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University, who studies tech law and online platforms. He discusses a high-profile Los Angeles trial claiming platforms were designed to be addictive. He outlines linked federal and state lawsuits, how legal pressure could reshape internet design, and the wider implications for games and AI makers.
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Legal Causation Is Narrower Than Intuition
- Plaintiffs must show the defendants caused legally recognized harm, not just that kids were harmed while using social media.
- Causation in law is narrower than common-sense cause, and that will be a central issue in the trial.
Design Choices Could Be Removed By Liability
- Legal pressure could remove or force changes to product design choices that enable engagement.
- That could radically change how we access and consume online content and the internet's structure.
Social Media Ruling Could Ripple Across Tech
- Plaintiffs aim to establish a broad principle about addiction and causation to use against other tech sectors.
- Similar legal theories are already being deployed against video game makers and generative AI companies.