Meta and YouTube Lose Landmark Social-Media Addiction Trial

A 20-year-old woman prevailed in a landmark social-media trial against Meta Platforms and Google's YouTube in which the companies were accused of designing their apps to be addictive and harmful to adolescents.

A jury found Instagram's owner Meta and YouTube negligent for operating a product that harmed kids and teens and failed to warn about those dangers. The decision dealt a blow to the companies that have historically been shielded by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

The jury ordered the companies to pay $3 million to the plaintiff, named Kaley G.M., who testified that social-media use that started before she was a teenager had dominated her life for years and had contributed to mental health issues including anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia.