Overview
- The Los Angeles jury, which delivered its verdict Wednesday, awarded $3 million and assigned 70% fault to Meta and 30% to YouTube, then found malice that moves the case into a punitive-damages phase.
- Plaintiffs targeted design choices such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and push alerts, and jurors were instructed not to weigh specific posts or videos because Section 230 shields platforms from liability for third‑party content.
- Meta and Google said they disagree with the decision and are weighing appeals, while YouTube argued it is a streaming service rather than a social network and pointed to usage data showing limited time spent on Shorts.
- The plaintiff, identified as K.G.M., testified she began using YouTube at about age 6 and Instagram around age 9 and said constant use worsened depression, body-image problems, and suicidal thoughts.
- TikTok and Snap settled before trial, and this verdict lands a day after a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million, developments that could pressure broader settlements, product redesigns, and new child-safety laws.