Meta, YouTube Ordered to Pay $6 Million in Social Media Addiction Case

Meta and YouTube have been ordered to pay $6 million in damages after a Los Angeles jury found both companies liable in a major lawsuit over the effects of social media on young users.

The case, filed in 2023 and identified as JCCP 5255, was heard at the Spring Street Courthouse. It focused on a 20-year-old plaintiff identified in court documents as K.G.M. and her mother, Karen. They argued that years of social media exposure, beginning when K.G.M. was 10, contributed to serious mental health struggles, including anxiety, depression, dependency, and body dysmorphia.

In its decision, the jury found that Meta and YouTube knew certain design features on their platforms could harm users, especially minors, but did not do enough to warn them. The jury also concluded that ordinary users were not likely to fully understand the risks tied to those features.

The plaintiffs’ lawyer described the verdict as a major moment for the tech industry, arguing that social media companies made money from targeting children while hiding design elements that could be addictive and harmful.

Both firms have pushed back against the ruling and said they are considering their next legal steps. Meta said it disagrees with the verdict and is reviewing its options. YouTube, through Google, also said it plans to appeal, maintaining that the case wrongly treats YouTube as a social media platform instead of a streaming service.

One major part of the lawsuit was the legal argument used by the plaintiffs. Rather than focusing on user-generated posts, they targeted the design of the platforms themselves. That strategy helped them avoid the usual legal shield provided by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which often protects tech companies from liability over content posted by users.

TikTok and Snap were originally included in the lawsuit, but both companies settled before the trial began.

The Los Angeles decision comes after another major ruling in New Mexico, where Meta was ordered to pay $375 million in a separate child safety case brought by the state. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez described that judgment as a major accountability moment for big tech.

Legal observers say the Los Angeles case could influence thousands of similar lawsuits across the United States. Those cases, brought by families, school districts, and state authorities, argue that social media platforms play a role in worsening mental health problems among young users.

The verdict also reflects wider concern among health experts. The American Psychological Association has warned that heavy social media use by teenagers may interfere with sleep and physical activity. Former US Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy has also called for warning labels on social media platforms because of possible mental health risks.

With appeals likely, the case could become an important test of how courts and regulators handle questions about platform design, child safety, and tech companies’ responsibilities.