A Californian jury has ruled that Meta and Google deliberately designed social media platforms that harmed the mental health of a young user, awarding $6 million in damages in a case that could reshape debates around online addiction.
The plaintiff, identified only as Kaley, began watching YouTube at age six and started using Instagram at nine. By the age of nine, she was reportedly spending up to 16 hours a day on the platform, a pattern her lawyer, Mark Lanier, said caused severe disruptions and altered the course of her life.
Speaking to RTÉ Radio One on Saturday, Lanier described the verdict as a milestone but cautioned that it should be more than a “band-aid on a bullet wound.” He said internal documents presented during the trial revealed that both companies were aware their platforms contained features “negative in terms of teen wellbeing” but chose not to act on the findings.
Lanier emphasised that the case focused on platform features rather than user-generated content. “There was a feedback loop with social media which the companies’ own research found was harmful,” he said, noting that Meta had decided not to publicise these findings or continue research into the emotional effects on teenagers.
The jury found that Meta, owner of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google, owner of YouTube, had intentionally engineered addictive elements to keep users engaged, and failed to provide adequate warnings about their potential harm. Both companies have announced plans to appeal the verdict.
Noeline Blackwell, online safety commissioner with the Children’s Rights Alliance, said the ruling pierced a long-standing shield used by social media companies. “By focusing on the platforms themselves, rather than the content, the case addresses a core issue that affects children’s wellbeing,” she said. She added that features like infinite scrolling have real-world consequences and that the companies have the ability to implement changes if they choose.
The case highlights growing concerns over the addictive nature of social media and its effect on teenagers. Experts say that features such as autoplay, endless feeds, and algorithm-driven recommendations create a cycle that encourages prolonged use, particularly among younger users who are more vulnerable to mental health impacts.
Lanier expressed hope that the verdict would shift public attention from corporate public relations to meaningful measures that address social media’s harms. “Every time this rises to the surface of social attention, the PR department kicks in,” he said, underscoring the need for systemic change rather than temporary fixes.
The ruling has sparked interest among regulators and policymakers in Europe, where protections similar to those in the US exist. Blackwell suggested the verdict could prompt a review of these safeguards to ensure that social media companies are held accountable for the design of their platforms, not just the content they host.
