U.S. Jury Orders Meta and Google to Pay $6 Million in Social Media Case

A jury in Los Angeles has ordered Meta Platforms Inc. and Google LLC to pay a combined $6 million in damages in a case involving the impact of social media use on a young individual.

The ruling followed a closely watched trial in which the plaintiff argued that prolonged exposure to platforms such as Instagram and YouTube contributed to anxiety and depression during her teenage years.

Jurors found both companies negligent in aspects of platform design, concluding that certain features encouraged prolonged engagement without adequate safeguards for younger users.

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The court awarded $3 million in compensatory damages and an additional $3 million in punitive damages. Liability was split between the companies, with Meta responsible for 70 per cent, amounting to $4.2 million, and Google covering the remaining 30 per cent, or $1.8 million.

During proceedings, the plaintiff’s legal team pointed to features such as algorithm-driven recommendations, autoplay functions, and endless scrolling, arguing that they were deliberately designed to maximise user engagement.

Both companies rejected the claims that their platforms are inherently addictive, maintaining that external factors also influence users’ mental health. They are expected to challenge the decision through the appeals process.

The case is being closely monitored as part of a broader wave of legal actions against major social media firms in the United States, with potential implications for how platforms are designed and regulated, particularly in relation to younger users.