Social media giants hit with $6m verdict in landmark youth harm case

A U.S jury has found Meta and YouTube liable for harm linked to their platforms in a first-of-its-kind trial over the impact of social media on children as the UK moves to test social media bans and curfews for teenagers

A woman who brought a claim against Meta and YouTube has been awarded $6m in damages after a Los Angeles jury found the companies liable for harm linked to their products.

The jury concluded the companies were negligent and had failed to provide adequate warnings about potential risks associated with their platforms. 

Meta was ordered to pay 70 per cent of the damages, with YouTube responsible for the remainder.

The case, heard over six weeks in Los Angeles Superior Court, is understood to be the first of its kind to go to trial over the alleged impact of social media on young people.

The plaintiff, 20, who was identified in court only as ‘KGM’, told the court she began using YouTube at the age of six and Instagram at nine. By the age of 10, she had become depressed and was reportedly engaging in self-harm.

She said her use of the platforms had a detrimental effect on her wellbeing, including depression and self-harm, and contributed to difficulties at school and in family relationships.

Her legal team argued that features built into the platforms were designed to keep users engaged. In closing arguments, her lawyer Mark Lanier told the court: “How do you make a child never put down the phone? That’s called the engineering of addiction. They engineered it, they put these features on the phones.

“These are Trojan horses: they look wonderful and great … but you invite them in and they take over.”

Jurors were asked whether the companies’ conduct was a substantial factor in causing harm and whether they knew aspects of their product design were dangerous. The panel returned a 10–2 decision in favour of the plaintiff on all questions.

The jury awarded the plaintiff $6m in damages, with Meta ordered to pay 70 per cent of the total and YouTube the remaining 30 per cent.

In a statement after the verdict, the plaintiff’s lawyers said: “A jury of [KGM’s] peers heard the evidence, heard what Meta and YouTube knew and when they knew it, and held them accountable for their conduct.”

Meta said it would appeal the decision, adding: “We respectfully disagree with the verdict … Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app.”

A spokesperson for YouTube also said the company would appeal, stating: “This case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site.”

Both companies denied wrongdoing during the proceedings.

The case is one of a series of lawsuits in California involving social media platforms, with further trials expected in the coming months.

It comes as the UK government prepares to test restrictions on social media use among teenagers, including bans, digital curfews and time limits on apps.

Under the pilot, around 300 teenagers will have their social media access either removed entirely, restricted overnight or capped at one hour a day, with a fourth group facing no changes to allow comparisons.

Ministers say the scheme is intended to assess the impact of reduced access on sleep, schoolwork and family life, as well as how easily restrictions can be bypassed.

The trial runs alongside a consultation on whether to introduce a wider ban on social media use for under-16s, similar to measures being considered or introduced in countries including Australia.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the aim was to test “different options in the real world” before deciding on further action.

The government has also backed a separate large-scale study involving around 4,000 pupils, which will examine how reduced social media use affects anxiety, behaviour and social interaction.

READ MORE: ‘Government consults on social media ban for under-16s and potential overnight curfews‘. Ministers are seeking public views on whether to introduce minimum age limits, restrict AI chatbots and impose mandatory screen curfews, with new powers allowing rapid legislative action. 

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