Meta Must Pay $375M in Social Media Trial

WASHINGTON - March 24, 2026 - PRLog -- ruling that Meta must pay $375M for addicting children is eerily similar to the trials against cigarette makers which eventually forced them to pay over $200 billion says the "The Law Professor Who Masterminded Litigation Against the Tobacco Industry" and "a Driving Force Behind the Lawsuits That Have Cost Tobacco Companies Billions of Dollars."

The eventual total payout by the huge social media companies could well be even larger, says public interest law professor John Banzhaf.

He explains that there are probably far more people who were harmed by social media than who suffered diseases such as lung cancer from smoking.  Moreover, while it's difficult to fake lung cancer, it would be easy for plaintiffs to claim and/or exaggerate mental and emotional distress from their use of social media.

Moreover, juries are likely to be far more sympathetic to many of the social media plaintiffs who are children than to the victims of smoking who were older, and therefore arguably should have borne more responsibility, says the law professor.

It's also quite likely that jurors in the Los Angeles media trial will learn about this New Mexico verdict.  If so, it will provide further encouragement for them to rule against the social media companies, and to return a larger verdict, suggests  Banzhaf.

The law professor's previously-published legal analysis of the Los Angeles lawsuit - much of which would be applicable in any action against a social media company - can be found here:
Jury Likely to Hold Social Media Liable -Its Last Question About Damages Sends Signal Hints at Punitive Damages (https://x.com/ProfBanzhaf/status/2035909972601475528)

JOHN F. BANZHAF III, B.S.E.E., J.D., Sc.D.
Professor of Public Interest Law
George Washington University Law School
"The Man Behind The Ban on Cigarette Commercials"
FAMRI Dr. William Cahan Distinguished Professor,
Fellow, World Technology Network,
Creator of the "Banzhaf Index"
Founder, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH),
(703) 527-8418
http://banzhaf.net/   jbanzhaf3ATgmail.com   @profbanzhaf