California jurors have found YouTube and Meta–the latter of which owns social apps like Instagram and Threads–liable in a civil court for getting a young adult woman addicted to social media and impairing her mental health.
According to a March 25 CNN report, the jurors have decided that, after a seven-week trial and more than eight days of deliberations, Meta and YouTube were negligent in the design of their platforms, knew their design was dangerous, failed to warn users of those risks, and caused substantial harm to the plaintiff.
Brought to the Los Angeles Superior Court in February 2026, the civil lawsuit accused the social media giants of intentionally hooking the plaintiff as a child onto their apps, which caused her to develop anxiety, body dysmorphia, and suicidal thoughts. The trial has now come to a close with a hefty price tag. The companies must pay a total of $3 million in compensatory damages, while additional punitive damages could also be awarded to Kaley, the now 20-year-old plaintiff, and her mother. Meta bears 70% of the responsibility for the harm caused, with YouTube fronting the other 30% of the bill.
Snapchat and TikTok were also named in the lawsuit, but their respective parent companies settled before trial. YouTube has yet to comment on the news, but a Meta spokesperson told CNN that it “respectfully disagrees with the verdict” and is considering its legal options now. Just today, it was reported that Meta is laying off hundreds of workers, including those at its Reality Labs division.
Social media companies have faced tons of scrutiny as of late, particularly concerning addiction and mental health issues. Apple says people should put their phones down more often, and studies suggest that excessive gaming could be horrible for your physical health. Meanwhile, Fortnite and Roblox face a lawsuit for allegedly altering a growing child’s brain structure.
