A California jury has ordered Meta and YouTube to pay millions in damages to a 20-year-old woman in a landmark case over social media addiction, according to reporting from Associated Press.
The Los Angeles jury awarded the plaintiff, identified as KGM, $3 million in damages after determining that both companies were negligent in designing platforms that contributed to harm during her childhood. Jurors later recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages, citing findings of malice, oppression or fraud. A judge will make the final decision on the total amount.
According to the Associated Press, jurors concluded that the platforms’ design features—including infinite scrolling, autoplay and persistent notifications—played a substantial role in the plaintiff’s mental health struggles. KGM testified that she began using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9, spending much of her childhood on the platforms.
The jury found both companies liable but assigned greater responsibility to Meta, which was deemed 70% responsible for the harm, compared to 30% for YouTube. TikTok and Snap were initially part of the lawsuit but reached settlements before trial.
Both companies pushed back on the verdict. A Meta spokesperson said teen mental health is “profoundly complex” and cannot be tied to a single app, while a YouTube representative argued the platform is a responsibly built video service rather than a traditional social media network.
Legal experts say the case could have broader implications. The Associated Press reported that thousands of similar lawsuits are pending, and this case may serve as a bellwether for future litigation. While appeals are expected, the ruling adds momentum to growing scrutiny over how social media platforms design products used by children and teenagers.
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