A Los Angeles jury has ruled that Meta and Google are responsible for harm suffered by a young woman who says she became addicted to social media as a child.
Jurors apportioned blame between the companies, assigning 70% of the responsibility to Meta and 30% to YouTube.
The decision follows roughly five weeks of testimony and evidence.
The plaintiff, identified only as Kaley, argued that platform design features encouraged compulsive use and damaged her mental health.
Lawyers for Meta disputed that Instagram use caused or meaningfully contributed to her struggles.
Meta said it disagrees with the verdict and is reviewing its legal options.
Mark Zuckerberg, appearing before a jury for the first time, pointed to the company’s rule barring users under 13.
But internal research introduced at trial showed younger children were nevertheless using the platforms, and Zuckerberg acknowledged the company could have acted faster to detect underage accounts.
While Google, as YouTube’s owner, was also found liable, much of the trial focused on Instagram and Meta’s practices.
Snap and TikTok had been named in the suit earlier but settled with the plaintiff before the case went to trial.
Legal observers say the outcome could shape the hundreds of similar lawsuits pending around the United States.
Reporting on the story is ongoing as more details emerge.
