Meta and YouTube Liable for Addictive and Harmful Products, Jury Finds

Legal/Technology News

Meta and YouTube Liable for Addictive and Harmful Products, Jury Finds
MetaYoutubeSocial Media
  • 📰 sciam
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 162 sec. here
  • 9 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 85%
  • Publisher: 63%

A Los Angeles jury ruled Meta and YouTube are liable for offering addictive products that harm young users' mental health, ordering them to pay $3 million to a plaintiff. The ruling in this first-of-its-kind trial may influence other lawsuits against social media companies.

A Los Angeles trial jury found that Meta and YouTube are offering products that are addictive and harmful to young users’ mental health . We leverage third party services to both verify and deliver email.

By providing your email address, you also consent to having the email address shared with third parties for those purposes.for operating apps that are addictive and damaging to young people’s mental health, a jury found in the first-ever trial of its kind to weigh The legal arguments presented by the plaintiffs echoed some of those brought against big tobacco in the 1990s, which ultimately led to restrictions against tobacco companies targeting ads or products toward young people, among other remedies to restrict their influence. The jury ordered the companies to pay $3 million to the plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman identified in court as Kaley G.M. Meta was ordered to pay 70 percent of the damages, and YouTube was ordered to pay 30 percent. During the trial, Kaley G.M. testified that using social media as a child and as a teenager gave her anxiety and made her feel insecure about her looks. Her lawyers alleged that the features and design of social media apps are intentionally addictive, while “like” buttons feed teens’ need for social validation.. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. The case is one of several that are being brought against the social media companies Meta, TikTok, YouTube and Snap on behalf of 1,600 plaintiffs, including hundreds of families and 250 school districts. It is a “bellwether trial,” meaning its outcome could affect how other lawsuits against social media companies play out.reached an undisclosed settlement with the plaintiffs involved in the case. Over the course of the seven-week trial, lawyers for Meta and YouTube, which is owned by Google, argued that their platforms are safe for the majority of young users. “For years, social media companies have profited from targeting children while concealing their addictive and dangerous design features,” said the plaintiff's lawyers in a statement released to the media. “Today’s verdict is a referendum—from a jury, to an entire industry—that accountability has arrived.” "We disagree with the verdict and plan to appeal. This case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site,” said Google spokesperson José Castañeda in a statement. Meta provided a separate statement to the media in which it said, “We respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options.” The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment fromhas served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too., you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

sciam /  🏆 300. in US

Meta Youtube Social Media Addiction Mental Health

 

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Meta and YouTube found liable in social media addiction trialMeta and YouTube found liable in social media addiction trialA California jury has found Meta and YouTube liable on all counts in a case that accused the tech giants of intentionally addicting a young woman and injuring her mental health.
Read more »

Meta and YouTube found liable on all charges in landmark social media addiction trialMeta and YouTube found liable on all charges in landmark social media addiction trialThe verdict, which caps a weeks-long trial in Los Angeles, could set a legal precedent for similar allegations brought against social media companies.
Read more »

Jury finds Meta and YouTube liable in landmark social media addiction trialJury finds Meta and YouTube liable in landmark social media addiction trialA jury has found Instagram and YouTube liable in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that questioned whether they should be held responsible for harm to children using their respective platforms.
Read more »

Jury finds Meta, Google liable in landmark social media addiction trial, awards $3M in damagesJury finds Meta, Google liable in landmark social media addiction trial, awards $3M in damagesLos Angeles jury delivers verdict in landmark case accusing Meta and YouTube of designing platforms to addict young users, setting major precedent.
Read more »

Jury finds Meta and YouTube liable in landmark social media addiction caseJury finds Meta and YouTube liable in landmark social media addiction caseA Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in a landmark case over social media's addictive nature.
Read more »

Meta and YouTube Liable for Youth Addiction: Landmark Verdict in Los AngelesMeta and YouTube Liable for Youth Addiction: Landmark Verdict in Los AngelesA Los Angeles jury has found Meta and YouTube responsible for the mental health crisis of a young woman, marking the first time such companies have been held liable for their platforms' addictive design practices.
Read more »



Render Time: 2026-04-01 05:41:40