Meta and YouTube found liable in US trial over harm to children

A jury in California has found Meta and YouTube's parent company, Google, liable in a trial about social media addiction and harm to children. The case centered on claims that the platforms' designs were addictive and that the companies failed to warn young users and their parents about the risks, which the plaintiffs argued contributed to mental health issues.

The verdict is being described as a landmark decision. While the exact penalty is still being determined in a separate phase, reports indicate the jury awarded significant damages, with one headline specifying a figure of $375 million against Meta. The outcome is seen as a major legal reckoning for social media companies over their impact on young people's mental health.