TLDR
- A Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent for designing addictive platforms harmful to minors
- The plaintiff, now 20, was awarded $6 million total — Meta liable for $4.2M, Google for $1.8M
- Both companies plan to appeal; the case could reach the Supreme Court
- The trial focused on platform design features like infinite scroll and notifications, not hosted content
- Snap and TikTok settled before the trial began; terms were not disclosed
A Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent for designing social media platforms that harmed a young user, in a verdict both companies plan to appeal.
Meta & Google have been found liable in a social media addiction lawsuit, with a jury finding them negligent in the design & operation of the platforms.
They have been ordered to pay $3 million in damages to the plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman who alleges she was addicted to… pic.twitter.com/UgQGVBKlyO
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 25, 2026
The plaintiff, now 20 and identified as K.G.M. in court filings, said she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube starting at age 10. She alleged the platforms caused anxiety, depression, self-harm, and body dysmorphia.
The jury awarded $6 million in total damages. Meta was found 70% responsible, liable for $4.2 million. Google was assigned 30% responsibility, liable for $1.8 million.
Despite the verdict, both companies’ shares barely moved. Meta closed up 0.3% and Alphabet finished 0.2% higher on the day of the ruling.
The plaintiff’s legal team focused on how the platforms were built — features like infinite scroll, “likes,” and push notifications — rather than the content users posted. That approach helped sidestep Section 230 protections, which shield internet companies from liability over user content.
Meta said it disagrees with the verdict and is evaluating legal options. Google also plans to appeal through spokesperson José Castañeda.
The Road to a Possible Supreme Court Case
Legal experts say the appeals process will raise serious First Amendment questions. Harvard Law School lecturer Timothy Edgar expects the companies to argue their design choices are a protected form of speech.
Columbia Law School professor Eric Talley said the Section 230 question alone could send the case to the Supreme Court. If courts rule that the plaintiff’s design-focused approach violates Section 230, it could dismiss not just this case but similar lawsuits in other states.
The case, JCCP 5255, is seen as a test for thousands of similar lawsuits filed by parents, school districts, and state governments.
Global Pressure on Social Media Platforms
Regulators outside the US are already acting. Australia has banned users under 16 from social media services. Brazil now prohibits features like infinite scroll. Other countries have enacted or are drafting similar laws.
Snap and TikTok were also defendants in the original trial but settled with the plaintiff before it went to the jury. Settlement terms were not disclosed.
Gil Luria, a tech analyst at D.A. Davidson, called the verdict a “setback” for Meta and Google. He said future cases and appeals could eventually push the companies to add consumer safeguards that slow platform growth.
Meta has projected capital spending of $115 to $135 billion for 2026. Alphabet has projected $175 to $185 billion in spending the same year.
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