US jury verdicts hold Meta and Google liable for social media addiction harms to youth
Consensus Summary
A California jury on May 29, 2024, ruled that Meta (Instagram) and Google (YouTube) were liable for negligently designing addictive platforms that harmed a young woman, awarding her $3 million in damages. The plaintiff, known as KGM, testified she began using YouTube at age six and Instagram at age nine, becoming addicted and experiencing severe mental health issues by age 10, including depression, self-harm, and body dysmorphic disorder. The jury found both companies knew or should have known their services posed risks to minors and failed to warn users adequately. The verdict follows a separate New Mexico ruling on May 28, 2024, where Meta was ordered to pay $375 million for enabling child sexual exploitation and misleading users about platform safety. Both companies plan to appeal, but the rulings mark a significant shift in accountability for social media companies, with thousands of similar lawsuits pending in the US. The cases highlight internal documents revealing executives' awareness of harms, including Meta employees comparing targeting young users to tobacco industry tactics. While the damages awarded are relatively small, the verdicts are expected to influence future trials and regulatory actions globally, with governments like Australia and Indonesia already implementing social media bans for under-16s. Critics argue the rulings could force platforms to redesign addictive features, while Meta and Google continue to deny wrongdoing and emphasize the complexity of teen mental health.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A California jury found Meta (Instagram) and Google (YouTube) liable for negligence in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit on May 29, 2024, awarding $3 million ($4.3 million AUD) in compensatory damages to plaintiff KGM (now 20 years old).
- The jury split liability 70% to Meta and 30% to Google, with punitive damages recommendations pending a separate phase of the trial.
- The plaintiff, known as KGM, testified she began using YouTube at age six and Instagram at age nine, becoming addicted to both platforms and experiencing depression, self-harm, body dysmorphic disorder, and social phobia by age 10.
- Meta and Google both plan to appeal the verdict, with Meta stating it 'respectfully disagrees' and Google also indicating an appeal.
- A separate New Mexico jury on May 28, 2024, found Meta liable for $375 million in damages for enabling child sexual exploitation and misleading users about platform safety.
- Snap and TikTok settled with the plaintiff before the trial began, with terms kept confidential.
- The California case is the first of over 20 'bellwether' trials scheduled in the US, with the next trial set for July 2024.
- The plaintiff's lawyers argued that features like infinite scroll, autoplay, notifications, and 'like' counts were deliberately designed to hook young users, citing internal Meta documents.
- The Los Angeles trial lasted six weeks, with jurors deliberating for 44 hours before reaching a unanimous verdict (10-2 in favor of the plaintiff).
- The Australian government updated its definition of 'age-restricted social media platforms' in December 2023 to include services using algorithms, endless feeds, feedback features, and time-limited features.
- The plaintiff's full name was referenced as 'Kaley GM' in court documents, and she testified about using YouTube for 'lip gloss' and 'online kids games' at age six.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- No additional specific details beyond consensus facts
- Lisa Given, an RMIT professor, described the lawsuit as 'unique' and noted its potential influence on thousands of pending US lawsuits.
- ABC reported that the plaintiff's mother was present for the entire trial and described her as a 'loving parent' who was 'trying her best'.
- ABC highlighted that the plaintiff's usage records showed she averaged 'little more than a minute a day' on YouTube, a claim disputed by the plaintiff's lawyers.
- The Guardian cited an internal YouTube 2021 document asking, 'How are we measuring wellbeing?' with the response: 'We’re not.'
- The Guardian reported that a Meta employee compared targeting 11-year-olds to 'tobacco companies a couple decades ago'.
- The Guardian included testimony from a Meta whistleblower, Arturo Béjar, who said Meta knew about harms but misled regulators.
- The Guardian noted that the California ruling was not unanimous, with jurors voting 10-2 in favor of the plaintiff on every question.
- Newscom.au reported that jurors found both companies acted with 'malice, oppression, or fraud,' setting the stage for punitive damages.
- The article included a quote from juror Luis Li apologizing to the plaintiff but emphasizing punitive damages should relate to the specific case, not a 'social crusade'.
- Newscom.au stated that the $3 million award was a 'slap on the wrist' for Meta and YouTube, given their massive ad revenue.
- ABC reported that Meta's lawyer Paul Schmidt played a recording of the plaintiff's mother yelling and cursing at her during closing arguments.
- ABC noted that the plaintiff's lawyer Mark Lanier cast the case as a story of 'corporate greed' and described the platforms' design features as 'Trojan horses'.
- ABC included a quote from Laura Marquez-Garrett, a lawyer with the Social Media Victims Law Center, stating the case was 'a vehicle, not an outcome.'
- The Guardian reported that Australian law firm Shine Lawyers is investigating potential Australian cases against Meta and YouTube, calling the $6 million verdict a 'watershed moment'.
- The article included a quote from University of Queensland associate professor Stan Karanasios stating that features like infinite scroll and notifications were 'the architecture of addiction'.
- The Guardian noted that the Australian government is considering a 'digital duty of care' requiring platforms to prevent harm, with a survey on the proposal ending in December 2023.
- The Guardian reported that the plaintiff's lawyer Mark Lanier described the platforms' design as 'the engineering of addiction,' comparing them to 'Trojan horses.'
- The article included a quote from the plaintiff's lawyers stating the verdict was 'a historic moment' for the plaintiff and 'thousands of children and families.'
- The Guardian noted that the plaintiff's social media use allegedly caused strained relationships with her family and school.
- The Guardian editorial compared the legal victories to the 'reckoning' faced by big tobacco in the 1990s, suggesting a shift in public perception.
- The editorial mentioned that the US supreme court, shaped by Trump, could potentially overturn the verdicts, but noted jury verdicts are less prone to reversal.
- The editorial highlighted that the verdicts revealed 'shockingly cavalier' approaches by tech executives to young people's safety, citing internal documents.
- Amnesty International's Erika Guevara-Rosas stated the verdict 'laid bare' the use of 'unsafe design features' and called for a 'fundamental overhaul' of platforms.
- Human Rights Watch's Hye Jung Han described the verdict as a 'rare accounting of tech companies’ decisions to build products that have ignored the best interests of children.'
- The article noted that Fight for the Future, a digital rights group, viewed the verdict with skepticism due to potential legislative overreach, such as the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).
- Jonathan Freedland cited former Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who suggested Meta could face a trillion-dollar liability if thousands of similar cases succeed.
- Freedland included testimony from Sarah Wynn-Williams, another whistleblower, describing how Meta monetized teenage girls' body image insecurities by serving targeted ads.
- The article reported that Mark Zuckerberg admitted during the trial that 'a reasonable company should try to help the people that use its services.'
- Van Badham compared the platforms' design to 'behavioural and neurobiological techniques used by poker machines and exploited by the cigarette industry.'
- The article noted that the plaintiff's usage was recorded at up to 16 hours a day on social media platforms.
- Badham stated that the verdicts should 'deeply embarrass' those who claimed Australia's social media ban was 'boomer moralising.'
- The Guardian reported that Prince Harry weighed in on the verdicts, stating, 'The truth has been heard and precedent has been set.'
- The article included a quote from Meta whistleblower Arturo Béjar, who said the internal documents revealed 'just how much Meta knew about these harms and misled parents and regulators.'
- The Guardian noted that the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, cited the LA verdict in support of potential UK social media bans for under-16s and curbs on addictive features.
- The Guardian reported that Meta's defense strategy focused on blaming the plaintiff's mother for her mental health issues, citing texts and therapy notes.
- The article included a quote from Julianna Arnold, co-founder of Parents Rise!, stating, 'For the biggest tech executives, I want to say something: stop blaming the parents. It’s on you.'
- The Guardian noted that a bench memo filed by Meta quoted excerpts from the plaintiff's teenage texts complaining about her mother, emphasizing a 'toxic home'.
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- Article 2 (ABC) and Article 4 (Newscom) both report the jury found Meta and Google liable for malice, oppression, or fraud, but Article 4 specifically states this was a finding that set the stage for punitive damages, while Article 2 does not mention punitive damages explicitly.
- Article 2 (ABC) reports that YouTube disputed the plaintiff's usage records, claiming she averaged 'little more than a minute a day' on the platform, while Article 13 (Guardian) does not mention this specific dispute in its summary of the trial.
- Article 3 (Guardian) states the jury voted 10-2 in favor of the plaintiff on every question, while Article 12 (Guardian) does not specify the exact vote breakdown but describes it as a 'unanimous verdict (10-2 in favor of the plaintiff).'
- Article 10 (Guardian) quotes Sarah Wynn-Williams describing Meta's monetization of teenage girls' body image insecurities, while Article 11 (Guardian) does not reference this specific testimony but focuses on the broader design of addictive features.
- Article 13 (Guardian) emphasizes that the plaintiff's mother was described as 'loving' and 'trying her best,' while Article 2 (ABC) and Article 5 (ABC) both highlight Meta's defense strategy of blaming the mother for abuse and neglect, with ABC reporting Meta's bench memo quoted texts about a 'toxic home.'
Source Articles
Meta and Google found liable in landmark social media addiction lawsuit
The verdict could mark a turning point in the global backlash against their platforms' perceived mental health harms to youth.
Unpacking the social media addiction ruling against Meta and YouTube
A US jury has found Instagram and YouTube were designed to be addictive to young users, in a landmark trial experts say could influence thousands of similar lawsuits.
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‘Accountability has arrived’: US jury finds Meta, YouTube guilty in landmark social media addiction trial
Meta and YouTube have just lost a landmark court case about the addictive design of their platforms, a signal that “accountability has arrived”.
'Accountability has arrived': Meta and Google found liable in landmark social media addiction lawsuit
The case was brought on by a 20-year-old woman who accused the tech companies of causing harm by deliberately designing addictive platforms which worsened her mental health.
Law firms investigate possible Australian cases after US jury finds Meta and YouTube designed addictive products
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Meta and YouTube designed addictive products that harmed young people, jury finds
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