Home / Technology
Meta, Google lose key US case over harm to young users
Los Angeles jury has found Meta and Alphabet negligent for designing social media platforms
A Los Angeles jury has found Meta Platforms and Alphabet — the parent company of Google — negligent for designing social media platforms that harm young users, marking a significant moment in the growing legal battle over tech accountability.
The verdict, delivered Wednesday, awarded a total of $6 million in damages. Meta was ordered to pay $4.2 million, while Google faces $1.8 million.
While relatively small for companies of their size, the case is being closely watched as a potential bellwether for thousands of similar lawsuits consolidated in California courts.
The case centered on a 20-year-old woman, identified in court as Kaley, who alleged she became addicted to YouTube and Instagram as a minor.
She argued that features such as infinite scrolling were deliberately designed to maximise engagement, ultimately contributing to harmful usage patterns.
Jurors agreed, finding that both companies failed to adequately warn users about the risks and were negligent in their platform design.
“Today’s verdict is a referendum — from a jury to an entire industry — that accountability has arrived,” the plaintiff’s lead attorney said following the decision.
Both Meta and Google strongly disagreed with the ruling and have announced plans to appeal.
The case is notable because US law typically shields social media companies from liability over user-generated content.
However, this lawsuit focused instead on product design — an approach legal experts say could reshape future litigation.
“This is a setback,” said analyst Gil Luria of D.A. Davidson. “While appeals could drag this out, it may eventually push companies to introduce stronger consumer safeguards — even if that impacts growth.”
Other platforms, including Snap Inc. and TikTok, were initially named in the lawsuit but reached settlements with the plaintiff before the trial began. Terms were not disclosed.
Despite the ruling, shares of Meta and Alphabet edged higher at market close, suggesting investors remain cautious about the broader financial impact — at least for now.
