Meta and YouTube held liable in social media addiction trial

Meta Platforms and YouTube are facing major legal challenges after back-to-back jury verdicts linked their platforms to harm among young users.

A Los Angeles jury held both Meta Platforms and YouTube accountable for harming a young user through addictive design features. The jury awarded $4.2 million against Meta and $1.8 million against YouTube.

 The lawsuit, filed by a 20-year-old woman, argued that features like infinite scroll and algorithm-driven recommendations encouraged compulsive use, contributing to anxiety, depression, and body image issues. 

Jurors agreed that both companies were negligent in designing their platforms for younger users.

Meta and YouTube plan to appeal the decision.

A day earlier, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta Platforms to pay $375 million in a separate child safety case, finding it exposed minors to risks such as online solicitation, sexually explicit content, and human trafficking.

Wider legal impact
These decisions mark the first trials among thousands of lawsuits targeting major tech firms. Plaintiffs argue that not only the content but also the harmful design caused damage, potentially bypassing Section 230 protections, a legal provision that exempts platforms from liability for harmful user content.

Meta said it would appeal that decision as well.

Experts say this approach could open the door to widespread litigation and force significant product design changes.

What comes next
Although the penalties remain small compared to Big Tech revenues, the rulings could set a strong precedent, increasing legal scrutiny and signaling a prolonged courtroom battle ahead.