March 26, New Delhi - A U.S. jury has found Meta and YouTube liable for causing harm to a young woman through the addictive nature of their apps, a verdict that could have significant implications for social media and its impact on teenagers.
On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury ruled against Meta and YouTube, holding the tech giants responsible for the harm caused to a plaintiff identified as K.G.M., who began using YouTube at age six and Instagram at nine. During the trial, she described how endless scrolling, autoplay videos, and notifications affected her self-worth, led her to abandon hobbies, and made it difficult to form friendships. Experts noted that features such as infinite scrolling, constant notifications, and social comparison can subtly erode self-esteem, relationships, and mental health.
Jurors found both companies negligent, concluding that they knew—or should have known—that their platforms posed risks to minors and failed to warn users. Meta was ordered to pay $4.2 million in damages, while Google was fined $1.8 million, with the jury determining that the companies acted with malice, oppression, or fraud.
Both Meta and YouTube had argued throughout the trial that the plaintiff’s mental health struggles were unrelated to their platforms, and both now plan to appeal the verdict.
The ruling sends a clear signal that social media companies can be held accountable for the mental health impact of their platforms. With more than a thousand similar cases pending, experts warn that app design for teenagers could soon change, potentially threatening the ad-driven business models of Meta, YouTube, and other tech giants.
(Representative photo)