Marketplace Tech Meta and Youtube held liable for their addictive products
Apr 1, 2026
Eric Goldman, law professor and co-director of Santa Clara University's High Tech Law Institute, explores recent verdicts holding major platforms responsible for addictive design. He discusses how these trials could shape thousands of pending suits and influence product changes. He also explains legal strategies around Section 230 and the likely appellate fights to watch.
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Juries Bought The Harm Narrative
- Juries in separate trials accepted the plaintiffs' core story that social media design caused real harm to kids.
- Eric Goldman explains those verdicts function as bellwether data points signaling how other juries might react to thousands of pending suits.
Two Verdicts Show Legal Responsibility Trend
- Both the LA and New Mexico juries concluded social platforms can be legally responsible for harms they cause.
- Goldman notes the New Mexico case involved the state attorney general and statutory claims about misleading consumers on child safety guardrails.
Section 230 Worked Around By Design Claims
- Plaintiffs sidestepped Section 230 by framing claims about product design rather than user content.
- Goldman says the lower court accepted that distinction, making Section 230 a likely focus on appeal.