On Monday, jurors in the social media addiction trial told the court that they are struggling to agree on a verdict involving one of the defendants.
The panel did not specify whether the impasse concerns Alphabet Inc.’s Google or Meta Platforms, Inc., Reuters reported.
The jury has been deliberating for more than a week in a case centered on allegations that platforms such as YouTube and Instagram contributed to a young woman’s addiction beginning at an early age.
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Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Carolyn B Kuhl urged jurors to continue discussions and reach a decision if possible.
However, she acknowledged that failure to come to a unanimous verdict could force the case to be retried with a new jury.
Google and Meta did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
In a separate case filed last year, New York City sued several major tech companies — including Meta, TikTok-parent ByteDance, Alphabet and Snap Inc. — alleging they contributed to a youth mental health crisis through addictive social media platforms, while accusing them of gross negligence and creating a public nuisance.
Previously, the Federal Trade Commission also launched a probe into the possible harms AI chatbots may pose to children and teens, including those deployed by Meta, Google and Snapchat.
Photo Courtesy: Koshiro K On Shutterstock.com
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This article Google And Meta’s Fate Hangs In The Balance As Jury Signals Deadlock In Social Media Addiction Trial originally appeared on Benzinga.com
