Jury finds Youtube and Meta guilty of designing products that cause addiction

In a landmark case, a jury sitting in Los Angeles found social media giants Meta and YouTube liable for designing products that cause social media addiction.

The Jury passed its verdict yesterday, March 26, ordering the companies to pay $6 million in damages to K.G.M., a 20-year-old woman from Northern California. The woman in question filed a lawsuit against Meta and YouTube, claiming that their platforms caused her body dysmorphia and mental health issues.

Families of victims of social media addiction heavily followed this case, claiming that it marks a moment of justice for them, and they hope this is the beginning of a serious conversation on social media addiction.

Ashley Nikkole Davis, Meta’s spokesperson, who was on-site at the courtroom, denied the allegations, saying that both companies will appeal the decision.

“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal. Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app.” She said.

The verdict marks a second legal blow to Meta this week, following a New Mexico court judgment ordering Meta to pay $375 million for child exploitation.

Predatory design in question

Meta has been in and out of courtrooms over the years, mainly for the content on its platform and its effect on users. The Los Angeles Jury trial is the first time the focus is on design and not content.

The plaintiff argues that the features on Meta and YouTube’s products were intentionally designed to fuel social media addiction. Features like Instagram’s infinite scroll and YouTube’s algorithmic recommendations were identified as part of the problem.

The case and verdict mark the beginning of tighter federal regulations on social media companies. Before now, a regulatory framework that checks the excesses of social media companies was largely nonexistent.

Heavy social media use has been linked to mental and self-esteem issues over the years. The World Health Organisation (WHO) regional office in Europe surveyed 280,000 adolescents in 2024 and found a sharp rise in problematic social media use, increasing from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022.

This year, a scoping review on the neurobiology of internet addiction revealed that digital technology precipitates a loss of control similar to substance use disorders. The case against Meta and YouTube paints a direct correlation between the design of their platforms and outright addiction, making them a potential mental health risk.

The verdict by the Jury marks the first practical consequence for big social media firms on this issue. This follows many years of speculation, allegations, and counter-narratives about the downsides of social media and its long-term effects on society.

Last updated: March 27, 2026