A Los Angeles jury has found Meta Platforms' Instagram and Google's YouTube responsible for harming a young user's mental health, marking a historic decision that could reshape how social media companies are held accountable.
The case involved a 20-year-old woman identified only as Kaley, who said she became addicted to the platforms at a young age due to features like infinite scrolling and autoplay.
Jurors ruled that these design elements contributed to her struggles, awarding a total of $6 million in damages.
Meta was ordered to pay $4.2 million, while Google was held liable for $1.8 million, NY Post reported.
Kaley testified that her use of the apps began early, starting with YouTube at age six and Instagram at nine.
Over time, her usage increased sharply. By age 10, she had uploaded more than 200 videos, and by 15, she had created multiple Instagram accounts.
She told the court, "I wanted to be on it all the time. If I wasn't on it, I felt like I was going to miss out on something."
Meta and Google both found liable for woman's social media addiction and ordered to pay her $3m damages https://t.co/wbu4cvONLw
— Daily Mail US (@Daily_MailUS) March 25, 2026
Jury Rules Social Media Apps Exploit Kids
Her testimony described long hours spent online, including days where she used Instagram for up to 16 hours.
She said the constant notifications and likes gave her a "rush," which kept her coming back. Over time, this led to anxiety, depression, and body image issues, along with thoughts of self-harm.
Lawyers for Kaley argued that the platforms were designed to keep young users hooked.
They described the apps as "digital candy for the brain," claiming the companies knowingly built features that exploit children's vulnerabilities. One attorney said the verdict shows that "accountability has arrived" for the tech industry.
The ruling is seen as groundbreaking because it focuses on product design rather than user content.
According to Yahoo, this approach allowed the case to bypass Section 230, a law that typically protects tech companies from liability over what users post.
Legal experts say this could open the door to thousands of similar lawsuits already pending in courts.
Both companies denied wrongdoing and said they plan to challenge the decision. In a statement, Meta said, "We respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options."
Google added, "We disagree with the verdict and plan to appeal," arguing that YouTube is a responsibly built platform.
Originally published on vcpost.com
