A Los Angeles jury has found Meta and Google liable in a landmark social media addiction trial, and they've awarded $3 million in damages to the plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman who claims she became addicted to social media, causing her significant mental health problems.
🚨BREAKING: Meta and Google have been found liable for negligence, failure to warn in major social media case.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 25, 2026
The jury has awarded the single plaintiff, who claimed the platforms caused her mental distress, $3M in damages. pic.twitter.com/DGxh6H99Fg
This ruling could have far-reaching and precedent-setting implications for social media.
#BREAKING: A jury reached a verdict on Wednesday in a potentially precedent-setting lawsuit brought by a 20-year-old woman against social media giants Meta and YouTube.https://t.co/BcQRbDb3Ax pic.twitter.com/6qQYq4E2ni
— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) March 25, 2026
A jury reached a verdict on Wednesday in a potentially precedent-setting lawsuit brought by a 20-year-old woman against social media giants Meta and YouTube.
What we know: Plaintiff K.G.M., a 20-year-old from Chico, claims that Meta and YouTube functioned as "behemoths" that targeted her as a vulnerable minor.
Her attorney, Mark Lanier, argued that the platforms used a "Trojan horse" strategy, drawing users in with appealing content to trap them in addictive loops.
TikTok and Snap were originally part of the suit but settled before the trial began.
The defense strongly contests these claims, maintaining a commitment to user well-being.
They have questioned the scientific validity of "social media addiction" and suggested that the plaintiff's mental health struggles were actually caused by alleged verbal and physical abuse by her parents.
There is also a similar case happening in New Mexico, where Meta is on the hook for $375 million in violations.
BREAKING: Both Meta and Google have been found LIABLE for negligence in landmark social media case — Los Angeles.
— Overton (@overton_news) March 25, 2026
Kaley G.M., the 20-year-old woman who said she became addicted to the apps at a young age, will be awarded $3 million in damages.
Fox read the jury’s decision live… pic.twitter.com/05V9FxxEt4
According to Fox News, Meta is responsible for 70 percent of the damages, and Google/YouTube for 30 percent.
BREAKING: A Los Angeles jury has found Meta and Google (YouTube) liable in a high-profile social media addiction lawsuit, awarding the plaintiff $3 million in damages. “It’s huge as far as all of the other plaintiffs. This is now bl00d in the water... These companies are now… pic.twitter.com/niLxPDTu97
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) March 25, 2026
"Now this is purely about the construction of the platform itself," said Josh Ritter. "It's not about outside actors. It's not about people exploiting the platform. It's about the actual making of the platform. That itself is harmful, and they knew about it."
We don't yet know the impact of this case. It could lead to a flood of similar lawsuits, major platform redesigns, and more government control of social media regulations.