Meta, YouTube Found Liable in Landmark Social Media Addiction Case

A jury in Los Angeles has delivered a landmark verdict against Meta Platforms and Google, finding the tech giants liable for contributing to a young woman’s addiction to social media and subsequent mental health challenges.

The plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman identified as Kaley, was awarded $3 million in damages after jurors concluded that the companies intentionally designed addictive features on platforms such as Instagram and YouTube that negatively impacted her well-being.

According to the ruling, Meta bears 70 percent of the responsibility, while YouTube accounts for the remaining 30 percent. Additional punitive damages are yet to be determined and could significantly increase the total payout.

Kaley testified that she began using YouTube at age six and Instagram at nine, with no effective age restrictions preventing her access.

Over time, she said her usage escalated, at one point reaching up to 16 hours a day, while her mental health deteriorated. She reported experiencing anxiety, depression, and was later diagnosed with body dysmorphia.

Her legal team argued that features such as infinite scrolling were deliberately engineered to keep users engaged for prolonged periods, particularly targeting younger audiences. They further claimed that internal company strategies prioritised youth engagement for long-term user retention.

Executives from both companies pushed back against the claims. Mark Zuckerberg maintained that the company has policies restricting users under 13, though he acknowledged challenges in enforcement.

Meanwhile, YouTube’s leadership argued that the platform is a responsibly designed video service rather than a traditional social media network.

Both Meta and Google have announced plans to appeal the decision.

The verdict is seen as a significant moment in ongoing legal battles over the impact of social media on young users.

Analysts say it could influence hundreds of similar cases currently progressing through courts in the United States, signalling growing scrutiny of tech companies’ role in user safety and mental health.