Meta and YouTube Designed Addictive Products: US Jury Awards Damages to Woman

In a historic legal decision that could reshape the future of the internet, a US court jury has found Meta and YouTube liable for harm caused to a young user, marking one of the first times major social media platforms have been held legally responsible for the mental health impact of their products on children.

Verdict against Big Tech

After more than 40 hours of deliberation across nine days, jurors concluded that both companies were negligent in the design and operation of their platforms, directly contributing to the emotional and psychological harm of the plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman identified as KGM.

The jury awarded 3 million dollars in damages, but the financial consequences may not stop there. Jurors also found that the companies acted with “malice, oppression, or fraud”, opening the door for punitive damages, which could significantly increase the total payout in the coming phase of the trial.

What is the Case

The plaintiff, referred to in court as Kaley, testified that she began using YouTube at just 6 years old and joined Instagram (owned by Meta) at age 9. She described being online all day long, eventually developing addictive usage patterns that worsened her mental health.

Experts during the trial pointed to platform features such as, infinite scrolling, algorithm driven content recommendations, social validation loops (likes, comments, shares). These are intentionally designed to maximize engagement, particularly among younger users.

What the Jury Found

The jury determined that both companies knew their platforms could be harmful to minors, they failed to provide adequate warnings or safeguards and their negligence was a substantial factor in causing harm.

Responsibility was 70% assigned to Meta and 30% assigned to YouTube.

Notably, only 9 out of 12 jurors were required to agree on each claim, and two jurors consistently dissented, highlighting ongoing debate even within the jury room.

Originally, the lawsuit included other social media companies like TikTok and Snap, but both settled before trial, leaving Meta and YouTube as the remaining defendants.

This ruling comes just days after another jury in New Mexico found Meta violated state law by harming children’s mental health and safety, suggesting a growing legal trend against Big Tech.

Both companies strongly disagreed with the outcome and signaled plans to appeal. A spokesperson for Google argued that the case misunderstands YouTube, describing it as a responsibly built streaming platform rather than a social media site. Meta has yet to release a detailed public statement but is expected to challenge the ruling.