25 April, 2026

Courts have ruled against tech giants in two ground-breaking lawsuits in the US.

California

In late March, a Californian jury found in favour of a 20-year-old woman who claimed that social media companies Meta (owner of Instagram and Facebook) and Google (owner of YouTube) caused her anxiety and depression.

The court ordered Meta to pay $4.2 million and YouTube to pay $1.8 million in damages.

A lawyer for the plaintiff said, ‘This is the first time in history a jury has heard testimony by executives and seen internal documents that we believe prove these companies chose profits over children.’

New Mexico

Also in March, the US state of New Mexico won a legal victory over the tech giant Meta for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangering children.²

The jury found Meta liable for two claims brought by the New Mexico Department of Justice under the Unfair Practices Act and ordered Meta to pay the maximum penalty of $5,000 per violation, totaling US$375 million.

‘The jury’s verdict is a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety,’ said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. ‘Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew. Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.’

The evidence presented at trial – which included internal Meta documents and testimony from former Meta employees, law enforcement officials, and New Mexico educators – established that Meta’s design features enabled pedophiles and predators to engage in child sexual exploitation on Meta’s platforms. Evidence also demonstrated that Meta intentionally designs its platforms to addict young people and, contrary to Meta’s public commitments, expose them to dangerous content related to eating disorders and self-harm.

1.    New York Times, Meta and YouTube Found Negligent in Landmark Social Media Addiction Case, 25.3.26 www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/technology/social-media-trial-verdict.html?unlocked_article_code=1.W1A.7ap8.G4urzmzc7lb-&smid=url-share&fbclid=IwY2xjawQ3m-hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeaLKDL5Z12fJfwViWAgYQhXMqQnO7b3sYp9zZLmj2uBO9AE_hjdD8kDuvMLg_aem_Jx5JUp-aE-yeckIcWUyeng&emci=668676f7-662c-f111-9a48-000d3a14b640&emdi=074ef379-8b2e-f111-9a48-000d3a14b640&ceid=8734270

 

2.    Media Release, New Mexico Department of Justice, New Mexico Department of Justice Wins Landmark Verdict Against Meta, 243.26 https://nmdoj.gov/press-release/new-mexico-department-of-justice-wins-landmark-verdict-against-meta/?emci=668676f7-662c-f111-9a48-000d3a14b640&emdi=074ef379-8b2e-f111-9a48-000d3a14b640&ceid=8734270