Meta and Google-owned YouTube have been found liable for designing addictive products that harmed a young user, following a jury verdict in Los Angeles. The decision, delivered on Wednesday, marks the first time a social media case of this kind has proceeded to trial and resulted in a finding of liability against major technology companies.
A 12-person jury concluded that both companies were negligent and failed to provide adequate warnings about the potential risks associated with their platforms. The panel awarded the plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman identified in court as KGM, damages of $6m (£4.7m), assigning 70 per cent of responsibility to Meta and 30 per cent to YouTube.
