Is ‘addiction by design’ finally under fire?

What if your favourite app was designed to keep you hooked, on purpose? A California court has just said exactly that, ruling that Meta Platforms Inc.’s Facebook and Instagram and Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube built features like infinite scroll and algorithmic feeds to drive compulsive use among young users.

This isn’t just a US story. With India already considering age limits on social media, the ruling could fast-track stricter rules. After all, India is Big Tech’s biggest user base, especially among the young.