Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in landmark social media addiction trial
A Los Angeles jury has ruled against Meta and Google in a landmark case brought by a 20-year-old woman who claims Instagram and YouTube contributed to her anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia during her youth, awarding $3 million in compensatory damages with Meta bearing 70% of the cost. The verdict comes just one day after Meta was ordered to pay $375 million in New Mexico over child safety violations, and together the two rulings may establish a precedent that social media platforms are legally responsible for the harms caused by their algorithmic recommendations. Evidence presented at trial showed Meta was actively researching the addictive nature of its platforms among teens and using those findings to increase engagement - not to protect users.