After nine days of deliberation, a Los Angeles jury found Google and Meta liable for harms stemming from the design of their social media products on Wednesday and ordered them to pay $3 million in compensatory damages to a plaintiff who said that Instagram and YouTube caused depression,

The Los Angeles case has quickly become a legal flashpoint, closely watched for how it could reshape the trajectory of future lawsuits.

A jury finds big tech liable for programming addictive features into platforms—and that’s basically the business model for companion bots. David Futrelle On Wednesday, a California jury awarded $6 million in damages to a young woman for mental health harms she suffered as a result of using Instagram and YouTube as a child.

For years, the families affected by social media addiction have sat across the table from some of the most powerful companies on earth and lost. Lawsuits were dismissed. Executives testified before Congress and walked away unchanged.

A Los Angeles jury handed down an unprecedented win on Wednesday to a young woman who sued the companies for deliberately designing their platforms to addict and harm children. A Los Angeles County jury on Wednesday found Meta and Google liable for harming a young woman who used their social media platforms.

Parents and campaign groups seeking tighter restrictions on social media have welcomed a Los Angeles jury handing down an unprecedented win for a young woman who sued Meta and YouTube over her childhood addiction to social media.

A Los Angeles jury found social media giants Meta and YouTube negligent in making their platforms addictive for children and teens.