Mark Lanier’s Social Media Addiction Victory Tests Big Tech in Court
A social media addiction case has reached an important legal milestone. Attorney Mark Lanier led the first case of its kind to go to trial and secured a verdict against Meta and Google in March.
Lanier’s strategy centers on “beating the tar out of them” in court, reflecting an assertive approach to holding Big Tech accountable. The result suggests that claims concerning social media’s addictive design can now be tested before a jury rather than resolved through motions filed before trial.
The verdict is significant because it comes from the first social media addiction trial, yet it is only an early development in a broader legal effort to establish the responsibilities of major technology companies. The case may become a reference point for future litigation over platform design and social media addiction.