Overview
- The Los Angeles jury, which delivered its verdict Wednesday, found negligence, assigned 70% of the blame to Meta and 30% to YouTube, and awarded $3 million in compensatory damages.
- The case targeted how the apps work rather than user posts, focusing on features like infinite scroll, autoplay and constant alerts, after the plaintiff said she began using YouTube at 6 and Instagram at 9 and later suffered depression and body-image issues.
- Jurors heard internal documents and testimony from top executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri and YouTube engineering leader Cristos Goodrow, about youth risks and engagement-driven product choices.
- Jurors also found malice, oppression or fraud, which triggers a separate phase to set punitive damages, and Meta said it will evaluate legal options while Google said it plans to appeal.
- The decision comes a day after a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million for failing to protect minors from sexual predators, with a May 4 hearing on further sanctions, and both rulings now serve as bellwethers for more than 1,500 similar suits.