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StocksMediumUpdated×3•Originally published 23 March 2026•Updated 25 March 2026•
1 min read

Jury Finds Meta and YouTube Liable for Endangering Children in Landmark Trial

Key Facts

1The jury is having difficulty reaching a consensus in the landmark social media addiction trial against Meta and Google.
2Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl stated that the case will have to be retried with a new set of jurors if an agreement cannot be reached.

A Los Angeles jury reached a landmark verdict on Wednesday, March 25, finding both Meta and YouTube (Alphabet) negligent in a high-profile social media addiction trial. The lawsuit, brought by a plaintiff identified as K.G.M., alleged that the platforms' designs intentionally fostered addiction and severely harmed her mental health. This decision coincided with another legal blow for Meta, which lost a separate child safety lawsuit in New Mexico just hours earlier. The Wall Street Journal reported that the success of this lawsuit could trigger a wave of settlements in similar cases alleging that social media companies design platforms to be addictive. These rulings set a major legal precedent that could lead to multi-billion dollar penalties and stricter regulatory oversight for the technology sector. Investors are closely monitoring the fallout as the market assesses the increasing legal liability regarding user safety and the potential for further litigation across the industry.