Social media/tech giants Google & Meta have been found liable & “negligent for designing social media platforms that are harmful to young people.” A Los Angeles jury has handed down an unprecedented win for a young woman who sued Google & Meta over her childhood addiction to social media.
- Negligent in the design of both apps (Facebook & YouTube) & failed to warn about their dangers
- Intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed young people’s mental health
- “Acted with malice, oppression, or fraud” in the way the companies operated their platforms
“Today’s verdict is a referendum – from a jury, to an entire industry – that accountability has arrived,” the plaintiff’s lead counsel said in a statement.
Meta said: “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, & we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”
The LA verdict came a day after a jury in New Mexico found Meta liable for the way in which its platforms endangered children & exposed them to sexually explicit material & contact with sexual predators.
Read full articles here:
- Meta and YouTube found liable in landmark social media addiction trial – https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c747x7gz249o
- Meta, Google lose US case over social media harm to kids – https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/jury-reaches-verdict-meta-google-trial-social-media-addiction-2026-03-25
In related news, it is interesting to track & observe countries (almost 20 now, since Australia end-2025) planning to or passing laws to restrict or moderate social media usage amongst young people.
Multiple countries have passed laws to require age verification for social media services as an attempt to address certain harms on social media. The passage of such laws began primarily after Australia’s social media ban for under-16-year-olds was passed in November 2024, & came into force on 10 December 2025.
Social media age verification laws by country – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media_age_verification_laws_by_country
Related articles:
- Should social media be banned for teens in Singapore? – https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/social-media-ban-australia-singapore-teenagers-in-focus-5582946
- New Singapore law empowers commission to block harmful online content – https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/new-singapore-law-empowers-commission-block-harmful-online-content-2025-10-15/
