A recent jury verdict found Meta and YouTube negligent for social media addiction, awarding $3 million in damages and highlighting a growing wave of lawsuits.
On February 4th, 2004, Mark Zuckerberg founded the company originally known as Facebook. From his lonely dorm room, he wanted to create a platform that could connect individuals all over the world. In October of 2021, the corporate name was rebranded to Meta Platforms, which now runs Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Reality Labs.
Over the last three decades, Zuckerberg has been highly praised for his development. These devices, however, have caused both positive and negative outcomes in the ever-changing 21st century. And as of March 25th, 2026, the negatives are outweighing the positives.
In a recent court case filed by plaintiff, K.G.M, a jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in the design and operation of their social platforms. Going to court because of the apps ability to cause “social media addiction,” NBC News has noted “The Los Angeles County Superior Court jury said that Meta’s and YouTube’s negligence were a substantial factor in causing harm to the plaintiff, identified in court by her initials, K.G.M., and that the companies failed to adequately warn users of the dangers of Instagram (Meta’s platform) and YouTube (which is owned by Google).”
Awarding the plaintiff $3 million in damages, the judge found Meta 70% responsible and YouTube 30% responsible for the harm caused to the now 20-year-old young adult. What began as a simple trial last month with Mark Zuckerberg and other tech executives has now grown into a complicated and growing case. To date, this initial case has now brought light to a group of cases brought against Meta and similar companies “by more than 1,600 plaintiffs, including over 350 families and over 250 school districts.”
Naming victims “vindicated,” Meta and Google have chosen to disagree with the claims and appeal.
José Castañeda, a spokesperson for Google, noted the accusations “misunderstand YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, and not a social media site.” Similarly, the Spokesperson for Meta added, “Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”
Currently, the jury noted over $3 million in damages, with $2.1 million in punitive damages for Meta and $900,000 for YouTube.
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Originally published March 26, 2026.