The Cost of a Like: Courts Rule That Meta and Google Are Failing to Protect Youth
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Late last month, juries in two separate states returned the first-ever verdicts against major social media companies, declaring them harmful for children.
Parents, teachers, doctors, and even employees of some social media giants have been sounding the alarm for years that social media is designed to be addictive, lacks appropriate safeguards, and is detrimental to the overall mental health of youngsters. This can lead to depression, anxiety, addiction, and even suicide. Parents and adults alike have already been exploring “dumb phones” as a means to limit social media access and maintain a more balanced and focused lifestyle.
It’s too soon to tell whether these verdicts will bring about any real change, especially since there’s likely to be a lengthy appeals process. Even if change does come, we’re already entering a new frontier of AI and chatbot addiction — a similar but entirely new mountain to climb.
While the damages awarded in these two trials amount to peanuts for these companies, they’re historic victories that will likely lead to more lawsuits and regulations. More importantly, the lawyers for the plaintiffs in these cases focused less on the content appearing across social media platforms and more on their design.
The Los Angeles Trial
A trial in Los Angeles was brought by a single plaintiff, a now 20-year-old California woman named “Kaley” who goes by the initials K.G.M. in the filing. The case alleged that social media platforms designed their products with the intent to get users addicted. It was originally brought against Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google’s YouTube, TikTok, and Snap. TikTok and Snap settled ahead of trial, leaving Meta and YouTube as the lone defendants.
K.G.M. told the court during the six-week trial that she started using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at 9. By the end of elementary school she had posted 284 videos on YouTube. By age 10, Kaley was diagnosed with both anxiety and depression — conditions she testified were exacerbated by Instagram filters that led to body dysmorphia.
I stopped engaging with family because I was spending all my time on social media.
Kaley (K.G.M.)
From “buying” likes for extra validation to retreating to the bathroom during school to check her notifications, K.G.M. had to prove the social media platforms were a substantial factor in her mental health struggles. Meta and Google attorneys argued Kaley’s mental health issues existed prior to her use of the platforms.
The jury found Meta was negligent for failing to properly warn users about Instagram’s dangers and Google for its design or operation of YouTube, and that use of Instagram and YouTube was a “substantial factor” contributing to the plaintiff’s mental health issues.
The jury awarded a total of $3 million in compensatory damages and an additional $3 million in punitive damages and determined Meta to be liable for 70% and Google for 30% of the overall award. The judge has yet to accept the jury’s verdict or issue a final judgment solidifying the amount of damages and the share of liability.
The New Mexico Trial
A separate trial in New Mexico against Facebook and Instagram wasn’t brought by individual defendants, but by state Attorney General Raúl Torrez back in 2023. The AG alleged Meta violated the state’s consumer protection law. To build their case, Torrez’s team created fake social media profiles, then documented sexual solicitations and Meta’s response.
The jury found in favor of New Mexico and ordered Meta to pay $375 million in damages for failing to protect young users from child predators. Meta will likely appeal.
These rulings mark the first time juries have found major social media apps to be intentionally designed to exploit the vulnerable young minds of children and teenagers. While there are thousands of similar pending complaints, these rulings are sure to open the door to more and may even influence outcomes. There’s also a federal trial set to kick off this summer in the Northern District of California consolidating claims by school districts and parents nationwide against the likes of Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap. While many might view these victories as too little, too late, let’s hope they instigate the demand for proactive child-focused regulations on AI and chatbots.
