LOS ANGELES, United States — A Los Angeles jury has awarded $6 million in damages to a young woman who sued Meta and Google’s YouTube, finding the companies intentionally designed addictive social media platforms that harmed her mental health during childhood.
The plaintiff, identified in court as Kaley, successfully argued that prolonged exposure to platforms including Instagram and YouTube contributed to anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia after she began using the services at a young age.
Jurors determined that the companies acted with “malice, oppression, or fraud” in how their platforms were designed and operated.
The verdict allocates $3 million in compensatory damages and an additional $3 million in punitive damages. Under the ruling, Meta — which owns Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp — will shoulder 70pc of the award, while Google, as the owner of YouTube, will pay the remaining 30pc.
Meta and Google both said they would appeal the decision. Meta argued that teen mental health is complex and cannot be attributed to a single platform, adding that it would continue defending its policies on youth safety.
Google, meanwhile, said the lawsuit misunderstood YouTube, describing it as a responsibly built streaming platform rather than a traditional social media network.
During the five-week trial, Kaley testified that she began using YouTube at age six and Instagram at nine, and encountered no effective age restrictions. She told jurors she spent excessive hours online, including one day where her Instagram use reportedly lasted 16 hours.
“I stopped engaging with family because I was spending all my time on social media,” she told the court.
Kaley said she began experiencing anxiety and depression at age 10 and later received clinical diagnoses. She also described developing an obsession with her appearance, frequently using filters that altered facial features.
She was later diagnosed with body dysmorphia, a condition involving persistent concerns about perceived physical flaws.
Her lawyers argued that features such as infinite scroll and algorithmic recommendations were deliberately designed to maximise engagement and keep young users online.
They also cited internal research and testimony from experts and former executives suggesting that attracting younger users was central to long-term platform growth.
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg testified that the company prohibits users under 13 but acknowledged that younger children still access platforms. He said the company had worked overtime to improve age detection systems.
YouTube was also named in the lawsuit, though much of the trial focused on Instagram and Meta’s design features. Snap and TikTok were initially defendants but reached undisclosed settlements before trial.
The verdict comes amid growing scrutiny of social media companies over alleged harm to children. A separate jury in New Mexico recently found Meta liable in a case involving exposure of minors to sexually explicit material and contact with predators.
Lawyers for Kaley said the verdict sends a strong message that technology companies can be held accountable for platform design decisions affecting children. Another major case against Meta and other social media companies over alleged harms to minors is scheduled to begin in California federal court in June.
