The Fourcast How Meta Google addiction verdict could totally change big tech
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Mar 26, 2026 Vivianne Schiller, former Twitter news partnerships lead, brings platform policy insight. Chris Stokel-Walker, tech journalist and author, adds analysis on design and liability. They unpack a landmark verdict on addictive product design. They debate whether this signals a Big Tobacco-style shift. They explore legal strategy, internal documents, and possible regulatory and industry ripple effects.
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Court Ruled Platforms Were Defectively Designed
- Jurors found Meta and Google produced defective, addictive products and were negligent for not warning users.
- The verdict centered on design choices like infinite scroll and autoplay that the court said intentionally kept users engaged.
Kayleigh's Story Made The Case Personal
- The case humanised harm through Kayleigh, who said she started YouTube at six and Instagram at nine and once used Instagram for 16 hours in a day.
- Her troubled childhood was presented as part of why she became heavily dependent on platforms from a young age.
Design Argument Sidestepped Section 230 Shield
- The plaintiff's lawyers focused on product design rather than content or speech to bypass Section 230 protections.
- They compared platforms to defective products, framing features like infinite scroll as intentional hooks juries could understand.