Campaigners are celebrating after a Los Angeles jury ruled against Meta (which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp) and YouTube in a landmark lawsuit brought by Kaley, who suffered from social media addiction as a child.
The verdict awarded $6m (£4.5m) in damages to Kaley, marking the first time a social media company has been found guilty of intentionally creating addictive platforms that harm users' mental health.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Ellen Roome, whose son died after using TikTok excessively, said: 'How many more children are going to be harmed and potentially die from these platforms?' She called for urgent action from tech companies to address the issue.
The ruling comes as governments worldwide consider stricter regulations on social media use among minors. In Australia, new restrictions have already been implemented, while in the UK a pilot programme is underway to explore banning social media for under-16s.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that 'the status quo is not good enough' and emphasised the need for action to protect children online. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex echoed this sentiment, calling it a 'reckoning' for tech companies.
