Meta and Google lose US negligence case over social media harm to kids in $6M bellwether verdict

A Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent for designing social media platforms harmful to young people, awarding $4.2M against Meta and $1.8M against Google in a case brought by a plaintiff who said she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a minor due to design features like infinite scroll. The dollar amounts are modest for two companies each spending over $100B annually in capital expenditures, but the verdict is significant as a bellwether test case for thousands of similar lawsuits consolidated in California state courts, with another state trial involving Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat slated for Los Angeles in July. Both companies said they disagree with the verdict and plan to appeal, while senators from both parties called on Congress to pass legislation requiring social media platforms to prioritize children's safety in their design.