Meta, Google found liable in social media addiction case

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Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google were found liable and must pay damages to a 20-year-old woman who alleged that her addiction to the companies’ social media platforms caused her to suffer a mental health crisis, a jury said.

The verdict Wednesday in Los Angeles is a victory for plaintiff Kaley G.M., and highlights the financial risk facing the companies from thousands of other suits which claim that Instagram and YouTube are intentionally designed to addict young users without regard for their well-being.

Jurors said Meta must pay at least $2.1 million in damages, and Google must pay at least $900,000. The jury will hear more arguments on whether to also impose punitive damages on the companies.

In the first case of its kind to go to trial, the 12-person jury in California state court was asked to decide whether Meta and Google were negligent in the design and operation of their platforms and should have warned that their products might be dangerous for minors.

Kaley — who said she started watching videos on YouTube at age six and began using the Instagram photo-sharing app at nine years old — blamed the platforms for various harms, including anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia.

“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options,” Meta said in a statement.

YouTube didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.