“Jury recommends Google and Meta pay $6m damages in landmark social media addiction lawsuit.”

“A Los Angeles jury has found Alphabet’s Google and Meta liable for damages in a landmark civil trial over youth social media addiction.”

“The jury’s decision on Wednesday came at the end of a case in which the plaintiff’s legal team argued the companies are legally responsible for the addictive design of their platforms.”

“KGM said she had developed body dysmorphia – a clinical condition diagnosed by doctors – as a result of her social media use.”

“Opening statements for the trial started on February 9, and deliberations lasted more than 40 hours.”

“Google and Meta, the parent company of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, were the two remaining defendants in the case.”

“In late January, TikTok and Snapchat’s parent company, Snap Inc, settled their parts in the case.”

“KGM testified in February, saying she had started using YouTube at the age of 6 and Instagram at the age of 9.”

“By the time she finished elementary school, she had posted 284 videos on YouTube.”

“She said she would also 'buy' likes through a platform on which she could 'like' other people’s photos and receive a slew of likes in return.”

“KGM said several features, which lawyers argued are deliberately designed to be addictive, such as notifications, would give her a 'rush'.”

“The jury found that Meta had been negligent in designing or operating Instagram.”

“The jury also found Google had been negligent in designing or operating YouTube and that this negligence was a 'substantial factor' in harming the plaintiff.”

“A majority of jurors agreed to the findings and awarded the plaintiff $3m in compensatory damages.”

“Jurors later recommended an additional $3m in punitive damages after deciding the companies acted with malice, oppression or fraud in harming children using their platforms.”

“Meta will be liable for 70 percent of the total, while Google will be liable for the remainder.”

“A 1996 US law called Section 230 provides limited federal immunity to online platforms, websites and users.”

“The day before the jury’s decision in the KGM trial, a separate jury in New Mexico determined that Meta had knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its social media platforms.”

“More than 40 state attorneys general in the US have filed both federal and state lawsuits in recent years against Meta, claiming the company is contributing to a mental health crisis among young people by deliberately designing Instagram and Facebook features that are addictive.”