NEW: Jury Finds Meta and YouTube Liable For Teen’s Mental Health Issues; Awards Her $3 Million in Damages – Meta President Responds (VIDEO)
A Los Angeles, California, jury on Wednesday found that Meta and YouTube are liable for a teen’s mental health and awarded her $3 million in damages.
The plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman identified as KGM or “Kaley,” said she became addicted to Meta’s app Instagram and Google’s YouTube as a child.
KGM said she developed body dysmorphia and had suicidal ideations because of her addiction to the social media platforms.
Legal experts are saying Wednesday’s landmark decision against the social media giants is comparable to a previous settlement agreement with “Big Tobacco.”
Meta will pay for 70% of the damages, and YouTube will pay for 30%.
NBC reported:
Jurors found YouTube and Meta negligent Wednesday in a landmark Los Angeles trial over whether social media companies should be held to answer for harm caused to children using their platforms.
The decision comes after more than a week of jury deliberations and about a month of testimony from addiction experts, therapists, platform engineers and executives, including Facebook founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The jury deliberated for nearly 44 hours over nine days.
The two separate jury verdict forms included seven questions apiece with regard to the two defendants, Meta and Google-owned YouTube. The questions included whether they were negligent in the design or operation of their platforms.
At the center of the trial is a 20-year-old woman, identified as KGM in documents or Kaley, whose attorneys argued that her early use of social media addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts.
Jurors also found the company’s negligence was a substantial factor in causing harm to KGM and that they failed to adequately warn of the dangers. The companies were ordered to pay a total of $3 million in damages — 70 percent by Meta and 30 percent by YouTube.
Meta president Dina Powell McCormick responded to the jury’s decision.
“I see firsthand just how hard the company is trying to ensure that there’s not harmful content,” Dina Powell McCormick said.
WATCH:
.@meta president @DinaPowellMcC responds to California jury decision finding Meta and YouTube liable for teen’s mental health issues:
“I see firsthand just how hard the company is trying to ensure that there’s not harmful content.” #AxiosAISummit pic.twitter.com/sYCtPGgJJQ
— Axios (@axios) March 25, 2026
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