Los Angeles Jury Finds Meta and YouTube Liable in Social Media Addiction Case

A Los Angeles jury on 25/03/2026 found Meta Platforms and YouTube liable for harms linked to the social media addiction of a 20 year old woman identified in court filings as Kaley, also referred to as K.G.M. The verdict marked one of the first jury decisions holding major technology companies responsible for platform design features alleged to contribute to compulsive use. Jurors concluded that the companies were negligent in their product design and failed to provide adequate warnings about potential addiction related risks associated with prolonged use. The jury awarded a total of 6 million dollars in damages. This included 3 million dollars in compensatory damages and 3 million dollars in punitive damages after jurors determined that the companies’ conduct met the legal threshold of malice, oppression, or fraud. Liability was apportioned between the two companies, with Meta held responsible for 70 percent of the harm and YouTube, owned by Google, assigned 30 percent. The decision followed deliberations over design elements such as infinite scrolling feeds, autoplay video functions, and push notifications, which the plaintiff’s legal team argued were intentionally structured to increase user engagement and prolong screen time. Attorneys for the plaintiff described the platforms as engineered to encourage repeated use, presenting internal design practices and product mechanics as contributing factors. Meta argued during the trial that mental health outcomes among young users involve multiple influences and cannot be attributed to a single service. YouTube’s defense stated that its platform functions primarily as a streaming service and emphasized the availability of parental controls and user management tools. Both companies said they disagreed with the verdict and announced plans to appeal the decision. The ruling came one day after a separate jury decision in New Mexico that also found Meta liable in a case involving alleged harm to minors exposed to explicit material on social media. Legal observers noted that the back to back verdicts occurred amid numerous pending lawsuits in United States courts addressing youth safety, addictive design claims, and platform responsibility. The Los Angeles decision is expected to proceed to post trial motions and potential appeals, which could determine whether the damages and liability findings remain in effect.