A jury in California has found Meta and YouTube legally responsible for social media addiction, in a verdict that could influence a wave of similar lawsuits against major technology firms.
The decision was delivered on Wednesday at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, following a civil case brought by a 20-year-old woman who argued that her early exposure to social media platforms led to addiction and aggravated her depression.
Jurors concluded that both companies were negligent in the design and operation of their platforms.
The plaintiff’s case centred on the impact of services including Instagram and Facebook, which are owned by Meta, as well as YouTube, owned by Google.
Court filings alleged that the platforms “rewired how our kids think, feel, and behave,” encouraging compulsive use among young users and exposing them to harm.
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The case was brought as part of a broader class action effort targeting the effects of social media on children and adolescents.
Two other defendants, TikTok and Snapchat, settled with the plaintiff before the trial began, however, the terms of those settlements were not made public.
The ruling follows a separate case in New Mexico, where a jury found Meta in breach of state consumer protection laws over its impact on children’s mental health, resulting in a $375m (£280m) penalty.
That case, alongside the California verdict, adds to mounting legal and regulatory pressure on the technology sector over online safety and youth wellbeing.
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