Jury Finds Meta, Google Liable in Social Media Addiction Trial

Jurors agreed with a California woman that the companies were responsible for psychological harms she suffered after becoming addicted to their platforms.

Amy Neville, whose son died after taking a pill laced with fentanyl that was bought on social media, speaks outside Los Angeles Superior Court during a trial examining whether social media companies deliberately designed their platforms to be addictive to children, in Los Angeles on March 12, 2026. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

LOS ANGELES—A Los Angeles jury on March 25 found Google and Meta liable for $6 million in damages in a landmark social media trial.

The case pitted a 20-year-old plaintiff identified as “Kaley G.M.” or “K.G.M” against the two tech giants, asking a jury whether the companies could be held accountable for psychological harms she suffered as a result of an addiction to their apps, YouTube and Instagram.