Meta and Google found liable in landmark social media addiction trial

A Los Angeles jury has handed down an unprecedented win for a young woman who sued Meta and Google over her childhood addiction to social media.

In a verdict delivered on Wednesday to Judge Carolyn Kuhl, the panel of jurors found Meta and Google intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed the mental health of a 20-year old woman, known as Kaley.

The jury's finding will likely influence hundreds of similar cases now winding their way through the US courts.

Lawyers for Meta argued that while Kaley had suffered in her life, her use of Instagram - which Meta owns along with Facebook and WhatsApp - did not cause or meaningfully contribute to those struggles.

After a trial that lasted about five weeks, jurors found Meta to be 70% responsible for the plaintiff's harm - and YouTube was 30% to blame.

In a statement, Meta said: "We respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options."