FILE: Jury finds Meta and Google liable in social media addiction trial

Record ID: 2369923

  • Title: FILE: Jury finds Meta and Google liable in social media addiction trial
  • Date: 19th March 2026
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MARCH 25, 2026) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EGYPTOLOGIST, CHRIS NAUNTON TALKING IN FRONT OF CLEOPATRA FACT BOARD (SOUNDBITE) (English) EGYPTOLOGIST, CHRIS NAUNTON, SAYING: “You know, there are lots of different ways of telling stories about the ancient world. You might read a book, you might see a TV documentary. You might go to a more conventiona
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Facebook Instagram Los Angeles Meta YouTube file sketches social media timeline trial
  • Location: VARIOUS
  • City: VARIOUS
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions,North America
  • Reuters ID: LVA006540519032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A Los Angeles jury found Alphabet's Google and Meta liable for $3 million in damages on Wednesday (March 25) in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit.
    The outcome could influence thousands of similar cases against the tech companies brought by parents, attorneys general and school districts. At least half of American teens use YouTube or Instagram daily, according to the Pew Research Center .
    The Los Angeles case involves a 20-year-old woman who said she became addicted to the apps at a young age because of their attention-grabbing design. The plaintiffs in the Los Angeles proceeding focused on platform design rather than content, making it harder for the companies to avert liability.
    Snap and TikTok were also defendants in the trial. Both settled with the plaintiff before it began. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.
    Shares of Meta Platforms were up 1% and Alphabet slightly higher after the verdict, little changed on the news.
    A Meta spokesperson said “We respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options.” Google did not have an immediate comment.
    (Production: Arafat Barbakh, Sarah Wemy, Kokkai Ng, Jane Ross)
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains computer game or software screenshots. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing this clip.
Register