Montreal man launches class-action lawsuit against social media platforms for being too addictive
CTV
A Montreal man is launching a class-action lawsuit against the parent companies of several social media platforms, alleging they are too addictive and cause harm.
A Montreal man is launching a class-action lawsuit against the parent companies of several social media platforms, alleging they are too addictive and cause harm.
The defendants named in the lawsuit include Facebook and Instagram owner Meta Platforms, as well as the owners of TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit.
The Montreal law firm Lambert Avocats is arguing that the platforms' specific design to increase dopamine secretion causes users to get addicted to the platforms and has negative effects on their mental health and self-esteem.
The main plaintiff is a 24-year-old man who began using social media in 2015 and alleged he experienced blows to his productivity and body image. He used social media apps for up to four hours daily but has since reduced his time to roughly two hours, according to the class-action suit.
"He still finds that it has an effect on his productivity and his sleep," said Philippe Brault, an intern at Lambert, in an interview.
A judge must authorize the lawsuit before it can proceed.
Brault says many people have contacted the firm since the class action was made public on Monday. The firm was eager to take on the lawsuit because it feels this is an ever-growing problem.
