Jury awards $3m after finding Meta and YouTube built ‘addiction machines’
Meta and YouTube are part of a landmark ruling (Image: Getty)
A Los Angeles jury has found Meta and YouTube liable for intentionally building “addictive” platforms that harmed a woman’s mental health when she was a child, awarding her $3m (£2.2m).
The plaintiff, known as Kaley, is 20. Jurors apportioned responsibility at 70% to Meta and 30% to YouTube, meaning Meta will pay the majority of the award. Punitive damages are still to be determined and, under California state law, could reach up to $30m.
Meta and Google said separately that they disagreed with the verdict and would appeal. Meta said: “Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app.” The company added: “We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.” A Google spokesperson said: “This case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site.”
What the jury heard
The trial lasted five weeks. Kaley testified that she started using Instagram aged nine and YouTube aged six, and encountered no attempts to block her because of her age.
“I stopped engaging with family because I was spending all my time on social media,” she told the court. Kaley said she was 10 when she began having feelings of anxiety and depression, and was diagnosed years later by a therapist. She has since been diagnosed with body dysmorphia.
Kaley’s lawyers argued that Meta and YouTube built “addiction machines”, pointing to features such as infinite scroll and arguing the companies failed to prevent children from accessing their platforms. Snap and TikTok were initially defendants but reached undisclosed settlements with Kaley prior to trial.
In February, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared before the jury and referenced the company’s policy of not allowing users under 13. When shown internal research indicating young children were using Meta platforms, he said he “always wished” for faster progress to identify under-13 users, and insisted the company had reached the “right place over time”.
What happens next
Parents of other children were outside the courthouse during the proceedings, and were seen celebrating when the verdict came through. Kaley’s lawyers said the decision “sends an unmistakable message that no company is above accountability when it comes to our children.”
The Los Angeles verdict came a day after a jury in New Mexico found Meta liable over claims its platforms endangered children and exposed them to sexually explicit material and contact with sexual predators. Another case against Meta and other social media platforms is poised to begin in June in California federal court.
