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Trump: Iran asked me to be Supreme Leader, but I said no thanks

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Featured

‘Men need to be perp-walked’ after Epstein files release, Massie tells BBC

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Buried.News

The stories buried under the noise

Primary focus

Trump fires Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary

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Featured

The Trump gold coin is not normal : Consider This from NPR

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Featured

White House Confronted Over Huge Bets Made Minutes Before Trump’s Big War Move

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Meta and YouTube found liable in social media addiction trial

A Los Angeles jury’s finding that Meta and YouTube helped drive a child’s compulsive use—and awarding punitive damages—signals that “platform design” claims are starting to survive all the way to verdict, not just headlines.

Judiciary

Mar 25, 2026

Sources

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c747x7gz249o

Summary

A Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google (YouTube) liable for harms tied to a young woman’s childhood social media use and awarded her $6m in damages, including punitive damages. The coverage emphasizes “unprecedented” accountability but leaves readers without the legal details needed to judge what, exactly, the jury found and how broadly it applies. The story matters because it strengthens a growing wave of litigation and policymaking that is trying to treat youth-focused product design and safety failures as legal wrongdoing, not just a public-health debate.

Reality Check

This is a jury verdict at the trial-court level, and both companies say they will appeal—so it is not the final word on legal liability for “social media addiction,” but it is a meaningful datapoint because a design-and-harm theory made it through a full trial to a plaintiff win. Be careful with the numbers and labels: different outlets summarize the award differently (some report a $3m total award; the BBC text you provided says $6m with $3m compensatory + $3m punitive), and some stories describe the finding as “negligence” rather than the broader phrasing in the BBC write-up. ([nbcnews.com](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/verdict-reached-landmark-social-media-addiction-trial-rcna263421))

Detail

On 25 March 2026, a jury in Los Angeles found Meta (Instagram/Facebook/WhatsApp) and Google (YouTube) liable in a lawsuit brought by a 20-year-old plaintiff identified as “Kaley,” who alleged harmful addiction starting in childhood. ([pbs.org](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/instagram-and-youtube-found-liable-in-landmark-social-media-addiction-trial-in-california)) The jury awarded $3m in compensatory damages and $3m in punitive damages after finding the companies acted with “malice, oppression, or fraud,” per the article text. (BBC article text provided by user.) Damages were apportioned 70% to Meta and 30% to Google/YouTube, according to the article text; other reporting also describes the apportionment but sometimes lists different total damages figures. ([nbcnews.com](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/verdict-reached-landmark-social-media-addiction-trial-rcna263421)) Meta and Google said they disagree with the verdict and plan to appeal, according to the article text. (BBC article text provided by user.) Snap and TikTok were originally defendants but settled with the plaintiff before trial for undisclosed amounts, according to the article text. ([pbs.org](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/instagram-and-youtube-found-liable-in-landmark-social-media-addiction-trial-in-california)) Trial testimony highlighted platform features and youth access issues, including under-13 use despite nominal age rules and design elements alleged to encourage compulsive use (e.g., infinite scroll), per the article text. (BBC article text provided by user.) The BBC piece links the LA verdict to a separate New Mexico jury verdict one day earlier that found Meta liable in a state-led child-safety/deceptive-practices case, with New Mexico officials describing it as a landmark win. ([nmdoj.gov](https://nmdoj.gov/press-release/new-mexico-department-of-justice-wins-landmark-verdict-against-meta/)) More youth-harm litigation is queued: PBS reports a federal bellwether case involving school districts is expected to begin in June in Oakland, California. ([pbs.org](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/landmark-trial-accusing-tech-giants-of-harming-children-with-addictive-social-media-begins))

Norms Impact

AllUsefulInfo – Technology Tips & How To Guides

A headline alleges a major platform enforcement action, but the record supplied contains no corroborating facts—an information vacuum that blocks public oversight and accountability.

Jan 5, 2026