California judge upholds $6 M verdict against Meta, Google

A California judge has upheld a $6 million jury verdict finding Meta Platforms and Google liable for designing addictive social media platforms that harmed a young user, rejecting the companies' motions for a new trial. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl issued the ruling on Tuesday, June 10, 2026, preserving the landmark decision from March 25, 2026, which marked the first time a jury held social media companies financially responsible for their product design rather than user-generated content.

The case centered on a plaintiff identified as Kaley or K.G.M., now 20, who alleged that compulsive use of Instagram and YouTube beginning in childhood led to depression and anxiety. Her legal team argued that specific design features, including infinite scrolling, autoplay, and push notifications, were engineered to maximize engagement at the expense of young users' mental health. After more than 40 hours of deliberation, the jury found both companies negligent and that their design choices were a substantial factor in causing harm. The jury apportioned 70% of the liability, or $4.2 million, to Meta, and 30%, or $1.8 million, to Google.

In seeking a new trial, Meta and...