LOS ANGELES, United States — A California jury has concluded that Meta Platforms and YouTube are legally responsible for harm suffered by a young woman who accused the companies of designing platforms that contributed to her mental health struggles.
The verdict, delivered on Wednesday, March 24, 2026, followed a seven-week trial in Los Angeles Superior Court and more than eight days of jury deliberations.
Jurors found that both companies were negligent in how their platforms were constructed, determining that they were aware of potential risks, failed to warn users, and caused significant harm.
The jury awarded $3 million in compensatory damages. A separate phase of deliberations will determine whether additional punitive damages should be imposed.
Allocation of Responsibility
Jurors apportioned responsibility between the companies, assigning 70 percent of the liability to Meta and 30 percent to YouTube.
The case was brought by a now 20-year-old woman, identified in court only as Kaley, along with her mother. They alleged that several technology companies had exposed her to addictive design features during childhood, contributing to anxiety, body image issues and suicidal thoughts. Two other companies initially named in the lawsuit settled before the trial began.
Kaley was present in court when the verdict was read, alongside parents of other teenagers who say their children were harmed by social media platforms.
Company Responses
A spokesperson for Meta said the company disagreed with the outcome and was considering its next steps. “We respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options,” the spokesperson said.
A representative for Google, which owns YouTube, said the company would challenge the decision. “We disagree with the verdict and plan to appeal,” José Castañeda, a Google spokesperson, said in a statement. “This case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site.”
Both companies had rejected claims that their platforms are addictive and pointed to safety measures introduced in recent years, including parental controls and restrictions for younger users.
Wider Legal Implications
The lawsuit is the first among more than 1,500 similar cases to reach trial.
While the ruling does not directly determine the outcome of those cases, it is expected to influence how courts handle them going forward.
Additional lawsuits brought by school districts and state attorneys general are also scheduled for trial later this year, part of a broader legal effort examining the impact of social media on young users.
The decision in Los Angeles follows a separate ruling one day earlier in New Mexico, where a jury found Meta liable under state consumer protection laws for failing to shield children from online sexual exploitation.
Testimony and Evidence
During the trial, executives from the companies testified, including Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri and YouTube executive Cristos Goodrow.
Mosseri told the court that social media use could be “problematic” but not “clinically addictive,” while Goodrow said his own children use YouTube extensively and that he considers it beneficial.
Court proceedings also included internal company documents discussing efforts to attract younger users.
Some materials referenced decisions to permit features such as appearance-altering filters despite concerns raised by employees and external experts about possible negative effects.
Kaley testified that her use of social media continues to affect her daily life, describing a compulsion to spend extended periods on the platforms and to alter her appearance using digital tools.
Her lawyer, Mark Lanier, argued that any pre-existing personal challenges heightened the responsibility of the companies to protect younger users.
The companies, however, contended that factors unrelated to their platforms were responsible for her condition and questioned the extent of her usage.
A Turning Point for Platform Accountability
Advocates for online safety described the verdict as a significant development in efforts to address the impact of social media on children.
“Social media giants would never have faced trial if they had prioritized kids’ safety over engagement,” James Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, said in a statement.
“Instead, they buried their own research showing children were being harmed, and used kids and society as guinea pigs in massive, uncontrolled, and wildly profitable experiments. Now, executives are being held to account.”
The ruling is expected to intensify scrutiny of social media platforms and could contribute to renewed legislative efforts aimed at regulating online environments for younger users.
