Mark Lanier secured a $6 million landmark verdict in the first social media addiction trial, arguing that Meta and YouTube designed addictive platforms targeting vulnerable children. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, holding the companies accountable for social media addiction.
Now, in an exclusive interview on RTE Radio, Mark Lanier takes listeners inside the courtroom to share powerful moments from the trial. He discusses the core claim against the companies, the impact of their algorithms, and his cross-examination of Mark Zuckerberg. Below, you’ll find excerpts from his interview, where he delves deeper into the case and its implications.
Mark Lanier on the Core Claim of His Client: K.G.M.
“We brought the claim against these companies saying that they had purposefully made addictive features trying to addict these children.”
“Some days she would find herself on Instagram for over sixteen hours, and this would disturb her sleep, it would disturb her school, it disturbed social development. She developed body dysmorphia, where she had bad body image. She went to psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, and it really changed the trajectory of her life. She developed a social phobia and anxiety.”
On Social Media’s Algorithm vs. Traditional Media
“Social media has an algorithm that normal television does not have… it’s been developed by the most brilliant computer scientists in the history of humanity. And this algorithm, it’s like going into a bookstore, and you’ve got that table in front of the bookstore. And in a normal bookstore you’re gonna have a lot of different varieties of books. But they’ve got a bookstore of sorts in your social media, and that first book you pick up, let’s say it’s on gardening… as soon as you pick up that book, every other book on the table transforms into a gardening book. And then all the books around the bookstore transform. Everything they design is designed not just for you to have an option to view, but to capture your viewing interest in a way that traditional media could never do.”
“This early YouTube document we had that was over ten years old said, ‘Our design is, and our goal is not viewership, it’s viewer addiction’ — and that’s a quote. That’s exactly what it said.”
“And so they designed this algorithm to where it will capture every interest you’ve got and just give you nothing more than a complete smorgasbord except for the periodic, what they call intermittent variable reward. And, and you and I would know it more commonly as jackpot, slot machine, temptations where you get a few quarters every once in a while just to keep you playing in hopes you get the jackpot.”
“They actually brought in the scientists behind the casino concept to help them orchestrate their programs and features to mimic that of a casino, knowing, as they said in their document, ‘the house always wins.’”
On the Social Media Addiction Verdict’s Impact
“I hope that it’s more than a Band-Aid on a bullet wound because the problems we’ve had before is every time this rises to the surface of social attention, the PR department kicks in.”
“Internally, we found the documents where the people were saying, ‘Why are we having to do cartwheels to avoid implementing true measures that will truly help, just to satisfy the PR concern that we’re claiming we’re fixing problems, and we’re not?’”
Our Continued Commitment: We Stand By Every Victim of Social Media Addiction
At The Lanier Law Firm, we are committed to holding companies accountable for their harmful products, especially when they target vulnerable children. The fight for justice is ongoing, and there are many more victims who need help. We will continue to stand by each of them, working tirelessly to secure the compensation and support they deserve.
If your child has been affected by social media addiction, we are here to help. Our experienced team is ready to guide you through your legal options and fight for the justice your family deserves. Contact the Lanier Law Firm legal team today.
To listen to the full interview with Mark Lanier on RTE Radio 1, click here.