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Photo: YouTube logo - Rego Korosi
A US jury has found Meta and YouTube liable for designing social media platforms that are harmful to children and young people, ordering the two technology giants to pay USD 6 million in damages. Amnesty International, responding to the verdict on March 26, 2026, called the ruling a landmark moment in recognising the harms caused by addictive design features and demanded that governments require a fundamental overhaul of how these platforms operate.
The Trial and the Verdict
The case centred on the experience of KGM, a 20-year-old who told the Los Angeles court that she had begun using YouTube at age six and Instagram at age nine. She described spending all day online as a child, and recounted how her compulsive use of the platforms left her struggling with addiction and deepening depression. Jurors found Meta and YouTube negligent and ordered them to pay compensation. Snap (Snapchat) and TikTok had been part of the same proceedings but reached settlements before trial.
In a separate case in New Mexico, a jury also found Meta liable for harms to the mental health and safety of children and imposed a substantial fine. Both Meta and Google stated they disagreed with the verdicts and would appeal. The platforms' design features at issue included infinite scroll, autoplay video, and persistent notifications — features engineered to maximise engagement by exploiting the psychological vulnerabilities of young users. Trial evidence included internal company research showing awareness of the harms these features caused.
Demands for Regulatory Reform
Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International's Senior Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, stated: "This court decision is clear: these platforms are unsafe by design and meaningful change is urgently needed. For years, social media companies including Meta and YouTube have profited from targeting children and young people with addictive design features that prioritise engagement over wellbeing."
Amnesty International urged governments to avoid blunt measures such as blanket social media bans for minors, and instead require a fundamental redesign of how platforms operate — including addressing addictive features at their source. The organisation called for robust regulatory frameworks with enforceable obligations on technology companies to conduct human rights due diligence and design platforms that prioritise users' wellbeing over commercial engagement metrics.
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