Jury awards $3 million in Los Angeles trial

A jury in Los Angeles has ordered Meta and Google to pay $3 million to a 20-year-old woman who says she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube during childhood. The 12-member jury included seven women and five men and found the companies liable for product design features the plaintiff said harmed her mental health.

Who pays what

The court assigned responsibility for the award with Meta covering 70 percent and Google covering 30 percent of the $3 million. The judge will hold a separate hearing to decide whether any punitive damages will be added.

Why this case matters

This lawsuit is one of thousands filed across the country claiming that major platforms build products that encourage addictive use and cause harm. It is the first of those cases to reach trial and could shape how similar claims are handled going forward.

What the plaintiff said

The plaintiff, identified in court filings as Kaley G.M., testified that she created a YouTube account at age 8 and an Instagram account at age 9. She told the jury she used Instagram every day, saying, "First thing when I woke up, right after school, and then late at night." She said the apps replaced other hobbies and contributed to anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia.

What the companies said

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in the Los Angeles Superior Court and defended Instagram's product choices, including beauty filters. He said the company tries to balance concerns about harmful content with free expression.

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, also testified. He told the court he does not believe social media apps can create addiction in the clinical sense.

The plaintiffs' theory

Lawyers for the plaintiff argued that certain design decisions were meant to keep users engaged. They pointed to features such as infinite scroll and other mechanics that increase time spent on the platforms, which they said benefitted company revenues.

Other companies

Two other social apps named in the case, TikTok and Snap, reached settlements before the trial began and were not part of the verdict.

Bottom line: A jury has held Meta and Google partly responsible for a young woman’s claims that platform features harmed her mental health. The decision could influence many similar lawsuits pending around the country.