California jury finds Meta, YouTube liable in social media addiction trialPlaintiff attorney Laura Marquez-Garrett and family members celebrated a landmark win against Meta and YouTube which were accused of addicting young social media usersLOS ANGELES (UNITED STATES) - A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman through the addictive design of their social media platforms, ordering the companies to pay $3 million in damages and opening the door to potentially far larger punitive awards. "$3 million is a slap on the wrist for companies like Meta and YouTube, which are two of the biggest ad sellers in the world," said Jasmine Engberg of Scalable, which tracks the social media industry. She told jurors that her near-constant social media use "really affected my self-worth," saying the apps led her to abandon hobbies, struggle to make friends and constantly measure herself against others. Meta and YouTube had maintained throughout that Kaley's mental health struggles had nothing to do with their platforms. A separate New Mexico jury on Tuesday found Meta liable for endangering children by making them vulnerable to predators on its platforms and other dangers.

Source: Bangkok Post March 25, 2026 22:08 UTC