Meta won’t have to face the next planned social media addiction trial
Meta won’t have to face the next planned social media addiction trial
Meta 将无需面对原定进行的下一场社交媒体成瘾诉讼
Less than a week before Meta’s lawyers were set to return to a Los Angeles courtroom, the plaintiff accusing the platform of inflicting harm dropped the case. Brought by 15-year-old Florida plaintiff going by initials R.K.C., the case was set to be the second in a set of bellwether trials meant to test legal arguments that social media giants allegedly broke the law by creating features that hooked and harmed teens.
在 Meta 的律师原定重返洛杉矶法庭的前一周不到，指控该平台造成伤害的原告撤回了诉讼。该案由一名来自佛罗里达州、化名为 R.K.C. 的 15 岁原告提起，原定作为一系列“风向标”审判中的第二起案件，旨在测试社交媒体巨头是否通过开发让青少年上瘾并造成伤害的功能而触犯法律的法律论点。
TikTok, Snap, and YouTube previously settled claims brought by R.K.C. for undisclosed amounts. “In light of the overall successful result of the litigation and his concerns about enduring a grueling weekslong trial, he has elected to withdraw his claims against Meta,” R.K.C.’s lawyers Emily Jeffcott and Rahul Ravipudi said in a statement. “He’s ready to close this chapter and focus on his recovery and engage in therapy as he aspires to have a normal life.”
TikTok、Snap 和 YouTube 此前已与 R.K.C. 达成和解，和解金额未公开。R.K.C. 的律师 Emily Jeffcott 和 Rahul Ravipudi 在一份声明中表示：“鉴于诉讼的整体成功结果，以及他对于经历漫长且艰苦的庭审的担忧，他选择撤回对 Meta 的诉讼。他已准备好翻开新的一页，专注于康复并接受治疗，渴望过上正常的生活。”
That means Meta got out of this case without having to pay a settlement. “The claims never held up, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits,” Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement.
这意味着 Meta 无需支付任何和解金便摆脱了此案。Meta 发言人 Andy Stone 在声明中表示：“这些指控从未站得住脚，这一结果清楚地表明，我们不会在面对毫无根据的诉讼时退缩。”
Multiple cases have already begun to test claims about social media companies allegedly misleading users about the safety of their products and inflicting harm. Meta and Google’s YouTube lost the first bellwether case tried at the courthouse, with a jury finding them to be negligent and ordering them to pay a total of $6 million in compensatory and punitive damages to the single plaintiff. Separately, a New Mexico jury ordered the company to pay a $375 million penalty, and the state is preparing for the next phase of trial seeking structural business changes.
目前已有多个案件开始审理关于社交媒体公司涉嫌误导用户产品安全性并造成伤害的指控。Meta 和谷歌旗下的 YouTube 在该法院审理的首起风向标案件中败诉，陪审团认定其存在疏忽，并判令其向该原告支付总计 600 万美元的补偿性和惩罚性赔偿。此外，新墨西哥州的一个陪审团判令该公司支付 3.75 亿美元的罚款，该州目前正准备进入寻求结构性业务变革的下一阶段审判。
There’s still seven more bellwether cases on deck in the California state courthouse in LA, and a separate set of cases pending in a federal court in Oakland. Meta, Tiktok, Snap, and YouTube settled with a school district that was set to be the first in that separate set of bellwether cases seeking money to cover mental health-related costs to students allegedly caused by their platforms. Meta is still set to face claims brought by state attorneys general in federal court next month, alleging that it illegally misled the public about harmful and allegedly addictive features.
在洛杉矶的加州州立法院，还有七起风向标案件排队等待审理，另有一系列案件正在奥克兰的联邦法院审理中。Meta、TikTok、Snap 和 YouTube 此前已与一个学区达成和解，该学区原定是那批寻求赔偿学生心理健康相关费用（据称由平台造成）的联邦案件中的首个原告。下个月，Meta 仍将在联邦法院面临由各州总检察长提起的诉讼，指控其在有害及涉嫌成瘾的功能方面非法误导了公众。