A Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google liable for designing platforms that addict young users, calling them defective products. It awarded $6 million in damages after a plaintiff linked app use to mental health issues. The case, seen as a test for thousands of similar lawsuits, could reshape legal accountability for social media firms.

A Los Angeles jury has delivered a watershed verdict against Meta and Google, finding both companies liable for designing their platforms to addict young user. This is the first time a jury has ruled social media apps should be treated as defective products engineered to exploit the developing brains of children.

Compensatory damages were assessed at $3 million, with Meta responsible for 70 percent and YouTube the remaining 30 percent. Punitive damages amount to an additional $3 million, $2.1 million from Meta and $900,000 from YouTube, after jurors found the companies acted with malice, oppression, or fraud.

The verdict came after more than 40 hours of deliberation across nine days, following a seven-week trial at the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Who was the plaintiff?