A jury just found Meta and YouTube negligent for deliberately engineering addiction in children. But this case wasn't about content. It was about design. Infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, algorithmic recommendations. All of it framed as intentional product design, not user-generated content. That's what got past Section 230. We break down what the internal documents revealed, why design is now on trial, and what the big tobacco comparison actually means for the industry. In this episode, Symon and Marcello break down the landmark case against Meta and YouTube, where plaintiff Kaye, who started using YouTube at 6, was awarded $6 million in damages after suffering anxiety and depression by age 10. Meta is on the hook for 70%, Google for 30%. And now a chain reaction of lawsuits is waiting in the wings. But the real story here isn't just legal, it's about design ethics, behavioral engineering, and what happens when UX is weaponized against the most vulnerable users.
What we cover in this episode:
🔹 [0:00] — The verdict: What actually happened in the Meta/YouTube lawsuit
🔹 [2:16] — Kaye's story and why starting social media at age 6 matters
🔹 [3:55] — Internal Meta documents: "If we want to win big with teens, we must bring in tweens"
🔹 [7:50] — Section 230: The 30-year legal shield that finally cracked
🔹 [9:06] — Engineering addiction through design — and why that's different from designing for engagement
🔹 [11:07] — Infinite scroll, autoplay, and push notifications: tools or weapons?
🔹 [15:14] — Why this is a bellwether trial and what comes next
🔹 [18:02] — The Big Tobacco parallel: history is repeating itself
🔹 [22:27] — How this affects adults too: deleting Instagram, capping Reddit, and reclaiming attention
🔹 [26:36] — What should Meta do now?
This case isn't just about one family. It's a signal that real UX decisions made by real teams carry legal, ethical, and societal weight.
If you work in tech, product, or design, this episode is essential listening.
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