Meta and YouTube Found Liable on All Counts in Landmark Social Media Trial
Meta and YouTube Found Liable on All Counts in Landmark Social Media Trial
A Los Angeles jury finds Meta and YouTube liable on all seven counts in a landmark case over child safety and mental health, with punitive damages to follow.
In Los Angeles, a jury has found Meta and YouTube liable on all seven counts in a landmark trial over the safety of social media for minors. After more than 40 hours of deliberation across nine days, jurors concluded the platforms were negligent in the design or operation of their services and that this negligence was a substantial factor in harming Kaley, a 20-year-old plaintiff identified in court papers as Kaley. The panel determined that Meta and YouTube knew their platform designs were dangerous for minors and failed to provide adequate warnings. Kaley testified that she started using YouTube at age six and Instagram at age nine, and she said her experiences contributed to an addiction that worsened her mental health.
Compensatory damages totaled $3 million, reflecting the harm Kaley suffered. With the verdict in, the trial now moves into a second phase to determine punitive damages, during which jurors will review new evidence to decide on a final penalty, a process the judge has described as weighing malice, oppression, or fraud. Meta has argued that factors beyond platform design played a role in Kaley’s outcomes, but the jury’s finding focused on the significant impact of the platforms’ design choices.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified earlier in the proceedings, and he was seen exiting the Los Angeles Superior Court after his appearance. TikTok and Snap were not part of the final jury deliberations, having settled before the trial began, leaving Meta and YouTube as the remaining defendants.
Separately, in New Mexico, jurors ordered Meta to pay $375 million for misleading users about child safety on its platforms, marking one of the company’s first major losses in this wave of lawsuits focused on young users and consumer protection. People following the case say the mixed outcomes could prompt broader conversations about how social networks address safety, warnings, and design choices, potentially shaping regulatory debates in the months to come.
