Social media addiction trial: a Los Angeles jury finds Meta and YouTube were negligent and failed to warn users about the dangers of using their platforms

A jury in Los Angeles determined on Wednesday that Meta and Google were negligent and failed to warn users of the dangers associated …

CNBC 2026-03-25 Jonathan Vanian

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@ericldaugh Eric Daugherty on x
🚨 BREAKING: In a MASSIVE jury verdict, Google and Meta have just been found LIABLE for getting children addicted to social media — a $3 million reward in damages has been ordered to one plaintiff “This is blood in the water.” This could impact THOUSANDS of social media cases. [vi…
r/wallstreetbets r on reddit
Jury in Los Angeles finds Meta, YouTube negligent in social media addiction trial
r/politics r on reddit
Meta and YouTube Found Negligent in Landmark Social Media Addiction Case
@andymstone Andy Stone on x
Meta statement on New Mexico verdict: “We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal. We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors or harmful content. We will continue to defend ourselves…
@jason_kint Jason Kint on x
I'm sure it doesn't help when their official spokesperson is downplaying a $375 million fine with two more potentially coming covering the other 99%+ of the US. [image]
@torrezfornm Raúl Torrez on x
Victory! Meta Ordered to Pay $375 Million Over Child Safety Violations. [video]
@andymstone Andy Stone on x
@rebeccamkern Just a fraction of what the State sought
@taylorlorenz Taylor Lorenz on x
This case will now be cited by lawmakers in DC seeking to enact mass surveillance and censorship laws in the name of “kids online safety”, despite the fact that none of their laws do that. It will also only further the moral panic about open internet access
@robertfreundlaw Rob Freund on x
Watch for politicians on both sides to say “See? We need kids off these dangerous platforms. To do that, we need to build a massive surveillance apparatus and destroy all online anonymity.” And people will support it “because kids.”
@jason_kint Jason Kint on x
Boom. Accountability domino number one. And this isn't Los Angeles which is imminent. Facebook/Instagram = Big Tobacco, a menace, has been the case to these juries of everyday Americans.
@hawleymo Josh Hawley on x
Terrific news
@dareasmunhoz Diego Areas Munhoz on x
This decision will certainly be cited by lawmakers in Washington making the push for kids online safety legislation
@rebeccamkern Rebecca Kern on x
Meta says it will challenge New Mexico jury ruling that the social media giant owes $375 million in damages in child sex exploitation case
@matthewstoller Matt Stoller on x
First a jury nailed Elon Musk, now a different jury nailed Meta. Let's move judges aside and have juries make these kinds of choices. https://www.cnbc.com/...
@bymaddiehughes Maddie Hughes on x
Meta was just served a $375 million fine in New Mexico for breaking the state's Unfair Practices Act. We've been covering the trial all along at @mlexclusive check here for our coverage https://mlex.shorthandstories.com/ ...
@madeindex @madeindex on bluesky
#Meta was just found guilty and only fined $375 million? — Another slap on the wrist... If you need proof: — “Meta shares were up 0.8% in after-hours trade following the verdict. The state had asked the jury to award more than $2 billion in damages” — 🔽 Part 1/2 🔽 …
@flingjore.com @flingjore.com on bluesky
Meta knowingly harmed children's mental health and concealed child sexual exploitation risks, a Santa Fe jury finds. Landmark verdict cites thousands of violations of the state's Unfair Practices Act, carrying a $375 million penalty. The “move fast and break things” mantra fina…
@jeffhorwitz Jeff Horwitz on bluesky
For anyone losing track: the New Mexico Case was running parallel to the LA bellwether social media teen mental health case. — Jury finding for the state across the board is, however, a big moment for the crowd arguing that product liability offers a way around Section 230.
@mollyknight Molly Knight on bluesky
Everyone dooming over how $185M means nothing to Meta: this lawsuit was brought by one (small) state. Forty-nine plus DC to go. — It is okay and encouraged to celebrate Ws instead of just saying “it doesn't matter” every time any awful corporation faces ANY consequences. This…
@jeffhorwitz Jeff Horwitz on bluesky
New Mexico took a different tack from the other states going after broader youth well being stuff. (It is not part of the massive multi-state case). — There is overlap, though, and I don't think there's anything stopping similar cases from being brought by AGs. [embedded post…
@guntoucher @guntoucher on bluesky
company that just finished burning up 70b on the metaverse: “lol” [embedded post]
r/technology r on reddit
Meta misled users about its products' safety, jury decides
r/goodnews r on reddit
New Mexico jury says Meta harms children's mental health and safety, violating state law
r/UpliftingNews r on reddit
New Mexico Jury says Meta Harms Children's Mental Health and Safety - 375M Judgement | AP News
r/degoogle r on reddit
Meta ordered to pay $375 million in New Mexico trial over child exploitation, user safety claims
r/inthenews r on reddit
New Mexico jury says Meta harms children's mental health and safety, violating state law
r/anticapitalism r on reddit
New Mexico jury says Meta harms children's mental health and safety, violating state law
r/themayormccheese r on reddit
New Mexico jury ruled Tuesday that Meta knowingly harmed children's mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its social media platforms.
r/technology r on reddit
New Mexico jury says Meta harms children's mental health and safety | AP News
r/New_Mexico_ r on reddit
New Mexico jury says Meta harms children's mental health and safety | AP News
r/news r on reddit
New Mexico jury says Meta harms children's mental health and safety | AP News
r/NewMexico r on reddit
New Mexico jury finds Meta violated consumer protection law at trial about child safety
r/law r on reddit
New Mexico jury finds Meta violated consumer protection law at trial about child safety
@bedoyausa Alvaro Bedoya on x
(4) When I was working for Senator Franken, I learned that the NSA was the nation's top recruiter of math PhDs. Now is a good time to recognize that tech companies employ armies of psychologists. Some work to help users. Most make the platforms more “engaging,” i.e. addictive. [i…
@bedoyausa Alvaro Bedoya on x
Quick thoughts on the Meta/YouTube verdict: (1) A jury of regular people has managed to do what Congress and even state legislatures have not: Hold Meta and Google accountable for addicting young people to their products. Astonishingly, the tech giants have managed to avoid [imag…
@meghanncuniff Meghann Cuniff on x
Polling in civil trials always reminds why they poll jurors at all. The answers often aren't unanimous and it's interesting to see who disagreed with what. Two women disagreed with everything. I also heard a man disagree with damages amount and the 70% blame to Meta.
@jonhaidt Jonathan Haidt on x
Victory in the social media trial in LA! As of today, we are in a new world: a new era in the fight to protect children from online harms. A jury sided with Kaley and therefore with millions of children: Big Tech is harming kids on an industrial scale. For years, parents were
@robertscotthorton Scott Horton on bluesky
In Santa Fe and Los Angeles, the same claims, the same evidence, the same results. In particular, both juries found Zuckerberg's protestations of innocence to be untruthful. www.latimes.com/california/s...
@tiffanycli@mastodon.social Tiffany Li on mastodon
This is a big deal. Court finds Meta and Google liable for kids' social media addiction under product liability theories. This strategy gets around Section 230 protections because the focus is on the platforms' product designs, not the content posted by users. https://www.latim…
r/Fauxmoi r on reddit
Jury holds Meta and Google liable for role in young woman's mental health issues. Awards $3 million in compensatory damages with Meta paying 70% of that amount.
r/popculturechat r on reddit
Meta and Google found liable in social media addiction trial
r/goodnews r on reddit
Meta and Google found liable in social media addiction trial
r/technology r on reddit
Meta and YouTube found liable in social media addiction trial
r/worldnews r on reddit
Meta and YouTube found liable in social media addiction trial
r/daddit r on reddit
Jury in Los Angeles finds Meta, YouTube negligent in social media addiction trial
@meghanncuniff Meghann Cuniff on x
The trial is NOT OVER. The jury said YouTube and Meta acted with malice and fraud, so now they have to decide the amount of punitive damages on top of the $3 million in compensatory. Court is back in session at 11 a.m. PST.
@meghanncuniff Meghann Cuniff on x
During juror polling, two of the 12 jurors said this isn't their verdict. Civil juries in California state court do not have to be unanimous.
@meghanncuniff Meghann Cuniff on x
The jury returned the same verdict for YouTube. Yes to all questions. KGM's compensatory damages are $3 million. Meta gets 70% of the blame, YouTube 30%. Jurors said YES to malice and fraud,
@caseynewton Casey Newton on bluesky
This verdict seemed very likely the moment that TikTok and Snap settled rather than go to trial. A landmark moment for Big Tech www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/t...
@jamespmcleod.ca James McLeod on bluesky
This is a big deal; Canada should take notice. — Meta and YouTube Found Negligent in Landmark Social Media Addiction Case — Jury found them negligent in app designs, harming a young user with design features that were addictive and led to her mental health distress. — www.n…
r/PoliticalOptimism r on reddit
Meta and YouTube Found Negligent in Landmark Social Media Addiction Case
r/Lawyertalk r on reddit
Meta and YouTube Found Negligent in Landmark Social Media Addiction Case
@jason_kint Jason Kint on x
On landmark Meta and Google child harm verdicts, it's critical to note this isn't a one-off. It's been 10+ years of prioritizing profits over people. Massive surveillance advertising + monopoly businesses. Cambridge Analytica. Data leakage. Search + adtech monopolies. Recidivism.
@nicoperrino Nico Perrino on x
How you design and display your speech product is an editorial choice integral to the speech itself. How a publisher lays out his newspaper or website is an editorial choice. So is adding cliffhangers to the end of TV shows. Those choices are — and should be — protected by
@marshablackburn Sen. Marsha Blackburn on x
Today's verdict in the landmark social media case marks a monumental victory for parents and children who have had the door slammed in their face by Big Tech for years. It's time for Congress to enshrine protections for American families into law by passing #KOSA. @SenTedCruz
@hawleymo Josh Hawley on x
For years these scumbag social media companies have ruined kids' lives and made BILLIONS off it. Today they got caught. Now Congress needs to find some courage and do its job to protect more kids from these con artists
@jason_kint Jason Kint on x
It doesn't. So stop being concerned. @TaylorLorenz shared this so cc her. It's the product design not the content. That has been and will be instagram and facebook's angle with friends and proxies to try to soften press coverage and parent outrage for harming their children.
@judiciarydems @judiciarydems on x
Double whammy for Big Tech. Time's up. REGULATE.
@judiciarydems @judiciarydems on x
BREAKING: In ANOTHER loss for Big Tech, a California jury just ruled against Meta, YouTube in landmark social media addiction trial.
@enbrown Elizabeth Nolan Brown on x
Because of Section 230, state attorneys general are stuck prosecuting individual criminals—a task paramount to public safety, but not great at garnering massive payouts to state coffers or getting national attention. THAT'S why they hate it.
@enbrown Elizabeth Nolan Brown on x
Saying “this isn't about speech, it's about consumer protection” or “this isn't about speech, it's about product design” is just the latest tactic from state attorneys general greedy for cash & cache. they've been trying this in different forms for decades https://reason.com/...
@enbrown Elizabeth Nolan Brown on x
The Meta ruling is bad, no matter how much you dislike Meta or how much New Mexico tries to pretend its about “product design” It's an attempt to get around Section 230 (& 1A) protections, hold platforms liable for user speech, do universal age verification & end encrypted msg [i…
@tristansnell Tristan Snell on x
Social media is officially the new tobacco It is DESIGNED to be ADDICTIVE And it is time for them to pay
@rondesantis Ron DeSantis on x
Big implications right here... [image]
@superwuster Tim Wu on x
No more excuses for defective social media products https://www.nbclosangeles.com/ ...
@nicoperrino Nico Perrino on x
I'm concerned about this verdict and the overall trend of treating speech platforms as addictive — and therefore dangerous — products. Also, the verdict diminishes the responsibility parents have to raise healthy kids. For example: “Kaley says she began using YouTube at age 6
r/centrist r on reddit
Jury in Los Angeles finds Meta, YouTube negligent in social media addiction trial
r/InterstellarKinetics r on reddit
BREAKING: A Jury Just Ordered Meta And YouTube To Pay $3 Million In The First-Ever Social Media Addiction Trial, Opening The Door To 1,600 More Lawsuits 💰💥
r/neoliberal r on reddit
Meta, YouTube found negligent in landmark social media addiction trial
@jonhaidt Jonathan Haidt on x
Great analysis from Tim Wu: Social media is a defective, hazardous product, and states have the right to act to protect their children from dangerous products.
@taylorlorenz Taylor Lorenz on x
Her mother beat her, abused her, weighed her daily, called her fat, her sister tried to take her own life and her father abandoned her. Yet none of that apparently led to this poor girl's anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia, it was lip gloss review videos on youtube
@taylorlorenz Taylor Lorenz on x
Outside the LA courthouse parents who say social media addiction killed their children outline the policies they want to come as a result of this legal win: - Senate version of KOSA w/ strong duty of care - Reform/repeal Section 230 - Age verification laws [video]
@senmarkey Ed Markey on x
My Statement on the Social Media Addiction Trial Verdict [image]
@rebeccamkern Rebecca Kern on x
This is a huge ruling, a break in the Section 230 defense Meta and YouTube have been using for years
@andymstone Andy Stone on x
Meta statement on LA verdict: “We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal. Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our
@superwuster Tim Wu on x
Here is the long-term significance of today's Los Angeles social media trial victory: it is a move away from a conversation about speech and innovation, and toward bringing public health concerns decisively to the legal forefront. Read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/...
@adamthierer Adam Thierer on x
While many will be divided on the outcome of “Internet addiction” cases like this, one thing should be clear: Cases like this will likely unleash a trial lawyer bonanza via a much broader wave of (mostly frivolous) lawsuits. Every tort lawyer in America is probably thinking about
@senatordurbin Senator Dick Durbin on x
These back-to-back decisions in New Mexico and California show that Big Tech has become Big Tobacco. Now, it's time for Congress to sunset Section 230 once and for all.
@bedoyausa Alvaro Bedoya on x
A few quick reflections on the Meta/Google verdict: (1) A jury of regular people has managed to do what Congress and even state legislatures have not: Hold Meta and Google accountable for addicting young people to their products. Astonishingly, the tech giants have managed to [im…
@jonathanturley Jonathan Turley on x
The verdict against Google and Meta is clearly a seismic event with thousands of lawsuits in the works. However, the legal basis for this ruling remains highly challengeable in my view. I have taught torts for 30 years and remain skeptical about the causation links in the case...
@blumenthal.senate.gov Richard Blumenthal on bluesky
I would urge any member of Congress that continues to do Mark Zuckerberg's bidding to look at this verdict & their conscience. It's time to enact the Kids Online Safety Act into law. 3
@blumenthal.senate.gov Richard Blumenthal on bluesky
This verdict is the beginning of real justice for parents across the country that have suffered & faced heartbreaking loss from Big Tech's greed. 1/
@blumenthal.senate.gov Richard Blumenthal on bluesky
It is also powerful proof that the Kids Online Safety Act—to provide accountability & protections for all young people in America—is urgently needed. 2/
r/StockMarket r on reddit
Jury in Los Angeles finds Meta, YouTube negligent in social media addiction trial
r/technology r on reddit
Jury orders Meta and Google to pay woman $3 million in social media addiction trial
r/LinusTechTips r on reddit
Meta and Google found liable in landmark social media addiction trial
r/DeepStateCentrism r on reddit
Meta and Youtube Lose Landmark Social Media Trial
r/inthenews r on reddit
Jury in Los Angeles finds Meta, YouTube negligent in social media addiction trial
@bobbyallyn Bobby Allyn on x
One of the jurors, who gave her name as Victoria, addressed reporters in the courtroom hallway after the verdict standing next to the jury foreman, Matthew. Victoria said: “we wanted them to feel it, we wanted them to know this was unacceptable.”
@klonick Kate Klonick on bluesky
It is really early to tell the significance of this bc it could all be reversed on appeal on both whether the judge's early 1A and 230 decisions were correct (which allowed this to proceed to trial) and then the jury's decision as well. — This will likely be years before it is …
@klonick Kate Klonick on bluesky
Jury just came back with an additional $3M in punitive damages so grand total of $6M. — ~2000 Plaintiffs consolidated on the case are in different situations but even as a bottom number for settlement that puts the loss around $12B just for the California state cases that are c…
@willoremus.com Will Oremus on bluesky
Yesterday a jury in New Mexico found that Meta endangered children online. Today a jury in California found Meta and YouTube negligent for addictive product design. — And now: “There are thousands more lawsuits waiting to be heard... ” www.washingtonpost.com/technology/ 2...
r/technology r on reddit
Meta and YouTube designed addictive products that harmed young people, jury finds
@marshablackburn Sen. Marsha Blackburn on x
Juries in New Mexico and California are decisively holding Meta accountable. Now, Congress must do the same by passing the Kids Online Safety Act. [video]
@agrobbonta Rob Bonta on x
Juries in Los Angeles and New Mexico have found Meta responsible for what we at CA DOJ know to be true: Meta is prioritizing profits over the safety of children and violating consumer protection laws. We congratulate @NewMexicoDOJ and CA families for standing up to Meta and secu…
@taylorlorenz Taylor Lorenz on x
This verdict will lead to “a lot more heavy-handed censorship and privacy invasions by platforms to comply with junk science-based jury verdicts and looming legislative threats. Biggest tech players have the ability to weather the storm. Mid- and small-sized platforms won't.”
@naominixwrites Naomi Nix on x
There are so many takeaways from the LA and New Mexico rulings but I'll highlight three. 1) The academic research, which has limited experimental designs, has been mixed on the connection between mental distress and social media. The companies own docs were crucial to the case.
@bedoyausa Alvaro Bedoya on x
No. Don't blame parents for a product that was painstakingly designed by thousands of people to addict teens. Meta knew that Insta hurt teen girls. They knew it led to body dysmorphia; they even saw evidence it led to thoughts of self-harm. They did it anyways and made billions.
@parismartineau Paris Martineau on x
this is a huge deal and a sign of the changing legal tides for big tech. the plaintiffs attorneys here were early adopters of a novel legal strategy that uses product liability law to sidestep tech firms' go-to defense (section 230) & hold them accountable for negligent design [i…
@malinowski Tom Malinowski on x
This is a huge deal. If juries are affirming that social media is designed to be addictive & are awarding damages, legislators should now be able to ban the addictive features that have done so much harm to the mental health of our kids and the fabric of our democracy.
@bedoyausa Alvaro Bedoya on x
(4) Re-upping this from earlier. We need to wake up to the role that psychologists and neuroscientists have played within companies like Meta in making the platforms more addictive. [image]
@meghanncuniff Meghann Cuniff on x
The two jurors who disagreed with every answer (both are women) did not speak to reporters, but their tones during polling indicated they REALLY disagree. After 8 days of deliberation, the defense teams will have a lot to dig through as they prepare their motions for new trial.
@meghanncuniff Meghann Cuniff on x
“He's the guru, so to speak, and he should have really, really known what he was going to say out to us jurors, before he even said anything,” the juror said of Zuckerberg.
@meghanncuniff Meghann Cuniff on x
Two jurors spoke to reporters in the courthouse hallway about their $6 million verdict against Meta and YouTube. ($3M compensatory | $3M punitive, 70% Meta | 30% YouTube) One said Mark Zuckerberg's testimony “was not, it was — he changed it, and that didn't sit well with us.”
@bedoyausa Alvaro Bedoya on x
Jurors have now recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages, for a tentative total of $6M to K.G.M., the plaintiff. Every single AI company running parasocial chatbots is going to be holding some long meetings over the next few days.
@nickgillespie Nick Gillespie on x
The '90s debate over violent TV/movies/videogames is back, now with more ‘science’ and moral panic.
@scvanvalkenburg Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg on x
We can protect free speech and kids. For too long we've let social media companies addict our kids to their products. It's why I carried SB854 to create a more responsible default for how our kids use social media. To make it less addictive. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@akilahobviously Akilah Hughes on x
We are gonna zoom out from this era one day and ask wtf we were thinking letting a bunch of narcissistic tech dudes lead the culture.
@tristanharris Tristan Harris on x
The verdict is in. Meta, YouTube both found negligent in social media addiction trial. Everything we predicted in 2013-2017. https://www.cnbc.com/...
@emily.space Emily Hunt on bluesky
If this verdict holds, I can see this lawsuit being a landmark case: if social media companies are liable for making addictive apps, then it could massively limit the extent to which they can use algorithms to harm people.
r/inthenews r on reddit
Meta and YouTube found liable in landmark social media addiction trial
@richardhanania Richard Hanania on x
Woman gets $3 million in a jury trial because she says YouTube and Meta made her mentally ill. I'm concerned about kids and social media. But the hostility to personal responsibility and lawlessness of this decision is much worse. https://www.wsj.com/...

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Social media addiction trial: a Los Angeles jury finds Meta and YouTube were negligent and failed to warn users about the dangers of using their platforms

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