A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Alphabet’s Google and Meta liable for $6m in damages in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit, a ruling that could influence thousands of similar cases.
The verdict, delivered on 25 March, is expected to shape claims against major technology firms, with at least half of U.S. teenagers using YouTube or Instagram daily, according to the Pew Research Center.
The jury found Meta liable for $4.2m in damages and Google for $1.8m.
The case centred on a 20-year-old woman who said she became addicted to the platforms at a young age due to their attention-grabbing design. Plaintiffs focused on platform design rather than content, making it more difficult for the companies to avoid liability.
Snap and TikTok were also named as defendants but reached settlements with the plaintiff before the trial began. The terms were not disclosed.
Shares in Meta Platforms rose about 1%, while Alphabet edged slightly higher following the verdict, indicating limited market reaction.
A Meta spokesperson said: “We respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options.” Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Large technology companies in the U.S. have faced growing criticism over the past decade regarding the safety of children and teenagers online. The debate has increasingly shifted to courts and state governments, as the U.S. Congress has yet to pass comprehensive legislation regulating social media.
At least 20 states enacted laws last year addressing children’s use of social media, according to the non-partisan National Conference of State Legislatures, which tracks such measures.
These laws include restrictions on mobile phone use in schools and requirements for users to verify their age before opening social media accounts. NetChoice, a trade association backed by companies including Meta and Google, is challenging age-verification rules in court.
A separate social media addiction case brought by several states and school districts is expected to go to trial this summer in federal court in Oakland, California.
Another trial is scheduled to begin in Los Angeles in July, according to Matthew Bergman, one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs. It will involve Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat.
Separately, a New Mexico jury on Tuesday found that Meta had violated state law in a case brought by the state’s attorney general, who accused the company of misleading users about the safety of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and of enabling child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
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The European Union is preparing sweeping new regulations targeting the addictive design features of major social media platforms, including TikTok, Meta and X, amid mounting evidence linking their use to serious mental health harm among children and teenagers.
Apple and Meta have publicly opposed a Canadian bill they say could force technology companies to weaken encryption on devices and online services if it becomes law.
Shares in Meta Platforms fell sharply in extended trading on Wednesday after the tech giant raised its annual capital spending forecast by billions of dollars.
Australia's government said on Tuesday that Meta, Alphabet’s Google and TikTok could be penalised unless they negotiate payments with local media outlets for news carried on their platforms.
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to block or significantly reduce river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “far-reaching consequences”, after India's water minister said New Delhi was working to ensure that “not a single drop” of water reaches Pakistan in the coming years.
Armenia has every right to choose Europe. But Europe’s support for Armenia’s direction should not become automatic approval of its political process.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying no deal would be approved this weekend.
Japan’s birth rate and fertility levels have fallen to their lowest levels on record, highlighting the country’s worsening demographic crisis as fewer people marry and have children.
The global race to develop quantum computing is accelerating, with governments and technology firms investing heavily in what is expected to become a major new computing era.
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Switzerland on Sunday rejected a referendum proposal to cap its population at 10 million, a projection showed, as voters prioritised economic stability and the country's ties with the European Union over immigration concerns.
Romania's centrist President Nicușor Dan on Sunday designated Adrian Veștea, a member of the liberal party, as prime minister, after independent candidate Eugen Tomac withdrew.
North Korea said on Sunday, 14 June, that denuclearisation is a matter that is irreversibly terminated, in a condemnation of recent nuclear deterrence talks between the U.S. and South Korea.
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