Meta and Google verdict may expand liability for hateful content
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A final verdict against Meta and Google in a closely watched case about social media addiction could increase the platforms’ liability when it comes to hateful content.
The case focused on a 20-year-old California woman identified as FGM, who alleged that the platforms fueled addictive use when she was underage and contributed to her depression and suicidal thoughts through their participatory design.
The companies have denied any wrongdoing, pointing to security tools and parental controls.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Meta said, “We respectfully disagree with these decisions and will appeal. Reducing something as complex as youth mental health to a single cause risks leaving unaddressed the multiple, broader issues that young people face today and overlooks the fact that many young people rely on digital communities to connect and belong. We are committed to creating safe, supportive environments for young people and will vigorously defend our record.” he said.
Google spokesman José Castañeda told FOX Business the company disagrees with the decision and plans to appeal. He also stated that “this case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly created streaming platform, not a social media site.”
META PROMISES TO FIGHT AN ‘EPIDEMIC’ AFTER FINDING THE TECH GIANT RESPONSIBLE FOR ADDICTING CHILDREN
Families and supporters of the victims, Shelby Knox, Amy Neville, Mary Rodee, Laura Marquez-Garrett, Sarah Gardner and Lennon Torres, reacted before Los Angeles Superior Court on March 25 after a jury found Meta and YouTube were negligent in a lawsuit alleging their platforms contributed to harmful behavior among young users. (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The lawsuit specifically bypassed Section 230, which protects platforms from being held liable for the content of posts. Instead, the lawsuit went after the product designs the companies used; This could have broader implications for how platforms handle hateful content, especially monetized content.
StopAntisemitism Founder and Executive Director Liora Rez said the decision was “tremendous” and said advocacy groups had warned that “algorithms negatively impact people” in big tech, both in terms of its addictive properties and “encouragement of hate.”
“We started with the fact that platforms are not doing enough to eliminate anti-Semitism, for example, that platforms are now actively designing systems that monetize and incentivize the dissemination and, most importantly, of spreading this hateful content,” Rez told Fox News Digital. he said.
StopAntisemitism is a watchdog organization dedicated to exposing groups and individuals who promote antisemitism.
Social media platforms often have policies that ban certain types of content, especially those that promote hatred or violence. However, influencers began using code words to bypass censorship, such as saying “inanimate” instead of “kill”.
A landmark ruling against Meta and Google in the social media addiction case has raised questions about how the platforms handle hateful content. (iStock/Getty Images Plus)
META’S ZUCKERBERG SHOWS UNDER OATH WHY BIG TECH CANNOT CONTROL ITSELF
Rez acknowledged that it was possible for those spreading hate to create similar codes, but said “policy decision makers” at major platforms were aware of the issue. Because of StopAntisemitism’s reach on social media, especially to people 25 and under, the organization is often notified of these conditions early and is able to alert companies, he said.
The founder of StopAntisemitism said AI-generated content will be at the center of the next war, which has already begun.
“We’re really concerned about how AI is now helping to fuel anti-Semitic content on platforms. There’s little if any oversight on this issue, and we’re hopeful that this decision can be directed in some way to help,” Rez said.
He noted AI-generated “rabbis” with thousands of followers, with at least one gaining more than 1 million followers. The accounts often push antisemitic narratives about Jews controlling financial systems and use Yiddish words in a way that Rez said suggests there is no Jew behind the account.
Social media companies are facing questions about content moderation following a landmark ruling against Meta and Google. (iStock)
HAWLEY LAUNCHED A GOOGLE INVESTIGATION AFTER THE ‘SHOCKING’ ALLEGATION AGAINST CHILD TRAFFICKING AT THE SENATE HEARING
One such account, which has now been deleted, Rabbi GoldmanDespite posting her first video in mid-February, she has amassed 1.5 million followers on Instagram. The AI-generated rabbi’s content received several community notes warning others that it was fake. He talked about so-called secrets that all Jews allegedly knew while using Yiddish words in meaningless ways.
“So, let’s say out of 10 videos, two or three are going to be interesting. But the next two or three, and what we’re noticing is, those higher viewed videos are followed by the problematic ones, right? Because the more your videos are seen, the more the algorithm pushes the next video and the next post to your audience,” Rez said of the AI-generated Rabbi Goldman.
Despite concerns about AI-generated content, Rez expressed optimism about social media companies’ willingness to combat hateful content following the ruling. He said StopAntisemitism hopes to see social media companies taking proactive steps by the end of the year.
“Meta must step up and do more… Their failure to warn was actually a failure to protect, people were harmed,” Rez said. “We really think this is a precedent for future mass trials. Once again, we hope they take this as a wake-up call, and we hope AI will be at the center of this.”
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Fox News Digital has reached out to Google for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano, Kelly Saberi and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
