Meta and YouTube found negligent in landmark social media addiction trial

TechnologyLifestyle
26 Mar 2026 • 3:59 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • In a landmark ruling on Wednesday, Meta and YouTube were found liable in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that aimed to hold social media platforms responsible for harm to children using their services.
  • The plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman identified as KGM in documents, said she began using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9, and said her early use of social media addicted her to the technology and exacerbated her mental health struggles.
  • The ruling came after more than 40 hours of deliberations.
  • Meta and Google-owned YouTube were the two remaining defendants in the case after TikTok and Snap each settled before the trial began.
  • The verdict comes a day after a similar verdict was reached on a case in New Mexico, where a jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million for violating consumer protection laws.

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