Portuguese group D3 sues Meta, TikTok and YouTube over addictive design
2026-09-10
Reuters
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Portuguese digital rights group D3 has filed lawsuits in Lisbon against Meta, ByteDance, and Alphabet, alleging that AI-powered features like personalized recommendations and infinite scrolling on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube foster addictive behavior and harm users' health. The legal action seeks accountability for these AI-driven design choices.[AI generated]
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The platforms' personalized recommendation systems and features like infinite scrolling and autoplay videos rely on AI systems to tailor content and keep users engaged. The lawsuit alleges these AI-driven features cause addictive behavior, which is a form of harm to health and well-being (harm to groups of people). The event involves the use of AI systems (recommendation algorithms) and their design leading to harm, fulfilling the criteria for an AI Incident. The lawsuit is a direct response to realized harm caused by AI system use, not merely a potential risk or a complementary update. Hence, the classification as AI Incident is appropriate.[AI generated]