Meta, Google Found Liable for Youth Social Media Addiction
Jurors found that the companies intentionally designed their platforms to be addictive and that this contributed to significant harm to the plaintiff’s mental health. The woman was awarded $6 million in damages.
A Los Angeles jury has ordered Meta and Google to pay $6 million in damages to a young woman who said she developed a harmful addiction to social media as a child, in a decision that could influence hundreds of similar lawsuits across the United States.
Jurors found that the companies intentionally designed their platforms to be addictive and that this contributed to significant harm to the plaintiff’s mental health. The woman, identified in court as Kaley, was awarded $3 million in compensatory damages and an additional $3 million in punitive damages.
The jury determined that the companies acted with “malice, oppression, or fraud” in how their platforms were developed and operated. Meta was assigned 70% of the financial liability, with Google responsible for the remaining 30%.
Kaley testified that she began using YouTube at age six and Instagram at age nine, and said she experienced anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia after years of heavy use. Her legal team argued that platform features such as infinite scrolling were deliberately designed to maximize user engagement, particularly among young users.
Meta and Google both said they disagreed with the verdict and plan to appeal. Meta said teen mental health is complex and cannot be attributed to a single platform, while Google argued that YouTube is a video platform rather than a social media network.
The ruling comes amid growing legal and political pressure on technology companies over the impact of their products on children. A separate jury in New Mexico ruled a day earlier that Meta bore responsibility for exposing minors to harmful content.
Advocacy groups and parents seeking tighter regulation of social media welcomed the decision. Campaigners said the verdict could mark a turning point in holding tech companies accountable for the effects of their platforms on young users.
Governments in several countries are already considering stricter measures, including limits on social media use for minors. In the United Kingdom, officials are reviewing potential restrictions for users under 16.
Legal experts say the California ruling may strengthen other cases currently moving through the courts, as plaintiffs increasingly argue that major platforms failed to implement safeguards to protect children despite internal evidence of potential harm.