California Jury Finds Meta, YouTube Negligent In Landmark Case On Social Media Safety
A California jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay a combined $6 million after finding the companies negligent for harming a young user’s mental health through addictive platform features. The landmark trial in Los Angeles is being called Silicon Valley’s “Big Tobacco moment.”
BY THE NUMBERS: Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and YouTube were ordered to pay $3 million in compensatory damages for pain, suffering, and related financial losses, with Meta responsible for 70% and YouTube covering the rest. The jury also awarded an additional $2.1 million in punitive damages against Meta and $900,000 against YouTube.
It’s just a drop in the bucket for the companies, with YouTube generating more than $60 billion in revenue for 2025 and Meta $200 billion.
But, thousands of additional cases could follow, and those costs could add up quickly. Legal commentators call the LA case a “bellwether” trial: a case chosen from a large group of similar lawsuits meant to test how juries respond to the arguments and what damages might be awarded.
Spokespeople for Alphabet, which owns YouTube, and Meta said they “disagree” with the verdict and plan to appeal.
THE CASE
Jurors said design choices like infinite scroll and algorithm-driven recommendations contributed to anxiety and depression in the plaintiff, a now 20-year-old identified as “KGM.” Her lawyers argued the platforms were intentionally built to keep users hooked, comparing them to cigarettes or casinos.
On the other side, Meta argued there is no conclusive evidence linking social media use to mental health harm, saying in court that the plaintiffs’ challenges stemmed from family issues at home — not the apps. YouTube’s lawyers argued the platform is not a social media site and said its features were not designed to be addictive.
REWIND: Snapchat and TikTok were supposed to be part of this trial, but they reached their own settlements for undisclosed amounts with KGM before arguments.
The landmark decision could open the door to more lawsuits over users’ well-being, challenging protections social media companies have long relied on — including Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects them from liability for what their users post, and First Amendment defenses.
OTHER CASES AGAINST META
About 2,000 lawsuits are making their way through courts similar to the LA case, where parents and school districts are accusing social media companies of knowingly building addictive products that harm young users.
YESTERDAY: The verdict comes just one day after a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million after finding the company violated state law by misleading users about the safety of its platforms and allegedly “steered” young users to content that was sexually explicit. That lawsuit was brought by the state’s Attorney General Raúl Torrez — unlike the LA case, which was filed by an individual.
More than 40 state attorneys general have sued Meta, alleging it fuels a youth mental health crisis by designing addictive features.