86% of Americans want Meta, Google held accountable for ‘predatory’ social media addiction crisis: survey

A whopping 86% of Americans want Meta and Google held accountable for their role in a social media addiction crisis that has fueled anxiety, eating disorders and even suicide among kids, according to a survey obtained by The Post.

Meanwhile, 67%, or a two-thirds of American voters, said they were more likely to vote for US lawmakers who supported legislation that would crack down on “dangerous social media features like infinite scroll, near-constant notifications, and predatory algorithms,” the survey showed.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify starting Wednesday in the landmark California trial accusing Facebook, Instagram and Google’s YouTube of fueling social media addiction to boost their profits. The trial began on Feb. 9 and is expected to stretch into March.

The Tech Oversight Project, which prepped the survey, called the trial a “watershed moment” with the potential for real consequences for Big Tech. The case is seen as a bellwether that could decide how similar trials around the country are decided for years to come.

“This trial has already proven that there is a direct link between Big Tech’s dangerous product designs and real-world harms, and it should come as no surprise that voters are mad as hell and want Congress to do something about it,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project.

One such proposal, according to the Tech Oversight Project, is the Kids Online Safety Act – a long-delayed bipartisan bill meant to enhance safety requirements on social media apps. The Senate version of the bill would impose a legal “duty of care” on companies to ensure their products are safe.