Has the jury reached a verdict in the social media addiction trial?

Yes. On March 25, 2026, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable in the K.G.M. bellwether case and awarded the plaintiff $6 million in damages -- $3 million compensatory and $3 million punitive. Meta is responsible for 70% and YouTube for 30%. As of April 2026, both Meta and Google have stated they will appeal the verdict.

Is there a social media addiction settlement I can file a claim for?

No. The K.G.M. verdict is an individual jury award, not a class action settlement. There is still no claim form, no settlement payout available, and no deadline to file as of April 2026. However, this case is the first bellwether for MDL 3047, which has 2,465+ pending personal injury cases and nearly 800 school district claims. The first school district bellwether trial is scheduled for summer 2026 in the Northern District of California.

Can I still sue social media companies for my child's addiction?

Possibly. Law firms are still investigating and accepting cases involving social media addiction and mental health harm to minors and young adults. These cases typically involve documented mental health impacts such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm, or suicidal ideation linked to extensive use of platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, or YouTube.

What happened with TikTok and Snapchat in this trial?

TikTok and Snapchat were originally named as defendants in this case but reached private, undisclosed settlements with the plaintiff before the trial began. They remain defendants in the broader consolidated litigation involving other plaintiffs. Meta and YouTube are the remaining defendants in this specific trial.

Social Media Addiction Trial Verdict Update -- Meta and YouTube Found Liable, $6 Million Awarded, Both Companies Appealing

By Steve Levine

Social Media Addiction Trial Verdict Meta YouTube Liable 6 Million Damages April 2026 Update

Published: March 22, 2026 — Updated: April 23, 2026

See If You Qualify for a Social Media Addiction Claim

April 2026 Update — Verdict Reached, Both Companies Appealing

On March 25, 2026, after more than 40 hours of deliberation, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable in the first-ever social media addiction bellwether trial. The jury awarded the plaintiff $6 million in damages — $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages. Meta is responsible for 70% of the award and YouTube is responsible for the remaining 30%. The plaintiff's lawyers had asked for $1 billion in punitive damages.

The jury found that the companies acted with "malice, oppression, or fraud" — not just negligence — in designing features like infinite scrolling, autoplay, algorithmic recommendations, and notification systems that the jury concluded were built to maximize engagement at the expense of users' mental health.

Both Meta and Google have stated they will appeal. Meta said, "We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal." Google said it plans to appeal and that the verdict misrepresents YouTube, which Google describes as "a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site."

What is next: The first MDL 3047 federal bellwether trial is scheduled for summer 2026 in the Northern District of California before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. As of April 2026, MDL 3047 has approximately 2,465 pending personal injury cases, plus nearly 800 school district claims and lawsuits from attorneys general in 41+ states. The first school district bellwether trial is also set for summer 2026. Legal analysts expect this verdict will accelerate new filings and increase pressure on Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap to negotiate broader resolutions.

What Happened in March (Original Coverage)

On March 20, 2026 — the sixth day of deliberations — jurors in Los Angeles sent Judge Carolyn Kuhl a question about how to fill out the verdict form for "compensatory damages and claim of punitive conduct." To reach that question, the jury had to first determine that one or both companies were liable. Five days later, on March 25, the jury delivered the $6 million verdict described above.

What Is This Trial About?

The case is KGM v. Meta Platforms, Inc. & YouTube LLC, being tried in Los Angeles Superior Court. It is the first bellwether trial in a massive wave of litigation alleging that social media platforms were deliberately designed to be addictive to children and teenagers.

The plaintiff is a 20-year-old California woman identified in court filings as Kaley G.M. She alleges that she began using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9, and that the platforms' design features — including infinite scroll, autoplay, beauty filters, algorithmic recommendations, likes, and notifications — created compulsive use patterns that contributed to depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, and suicidal ideation.

Her legal team, led by attorney Mark Lanier, argued during closing statements that Meta and YouTube "engineered addiction" to capture children's attention and generate advertising revenue. Lanier pointed to internal company documents that he said showed both companies understood the potentially addictive nature of their platforms.

Meta and YouTube denied all claims. Meta argued that the plaintiff faced significant personal challenges — including a difficult home environment — that predated and were separate from her social media use. YouTube argued that it is not a social media platform in the traditional sense and compared itself to television, emphasizing it does not have the same social validation features as Instagram.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the jury on February 18, 2026 — his first-ever jury testimony. Instagram head Adam Mosseri and YouTube VP of Engineering Cristos Goodrow also took the stand.

Why This Case Matters for Thousands of Lawsuits

This is not just one lawsuit. It is the first of approximately 1,600 individual cases filed against Meta, Google (YouTube), TikTok, and Snap that have been consolidated in California state court (JCCP 5255). A parallel federal consolidation, MDL 3047, is pending in the Northern District of California with over 10,000 individual cases and nearly 800 school district claims.

As a bellwether trial, the verdict in this case will heavily influence how the remaining cases proceed. If the jury awards significant damages, it could put enormous pressure on Meta, YouTube, and other social media companies to negotiate settlements across the entire litigation. Some legal analysts have compared this case to the landmark tobacco lawsuits of the 1990s in terms of potential industry-wide impact.

With the March 25 plaintiff verdict, that strengthening effect is now playing out in real time. The 2,465+ MDL personal injury cases, the 800 school district claims, and the AG actions across 41+ states all gain leverage from a jury that found Meta and YouTube acted with malice, oppression, or fraud. Legal analysts have told CBS News this verdict could "open the floodgates" of further litigation.

What Happened with TikTok and Snapchat?

TikTok and Snapchat were originally named as defendants in this specific case but reached private, undisclosed settlements with the plaintiff before the trial began. The terms were not made public. Both companies remain defendants in the broader consolidated litigation involving other plaintiffs.

Is This a Class Action Settlement?

No. The K.G.M. verdict is an individual jury award inside a mass tort, not a class action settlement. There is still no claim form, no settlement fund, no payout amount, and no deadline to file. Each plaintiff's case is evaluated separately based on their individual circumstances and evidence.

With the March 25 plaintiff verdict in hand, a global settlement covering broader categories of claimants is more plausible than it was before — but as of April 2026, no such settlement or claims process exists. If one is established later, OpenClassActions will update this page.

Can You Still File a Social Media Addiction Lawsuit?

Law firms across the country are still investigating and accepting cases related to social media addiction and mental health harm to minors and young adults. These cases generally focus on individuals who began using platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, or YouTube as children or teenagers and experienced documented mental health impacts such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm, or suicidal ideation.

If you believe your child has been harmed by social media addiction, a consultation with an attorney who handles these cases can help determine whether your situation may qualify. Answer a few simple questions to see if you may qualify for a claim. OpenClassActions will update this page if new settlements, investigations, or claim processes open.

Pre-Qualify Here

Other Legal Action Against Social Media Companies

This trial is not happening in isolation. One day before the K.G.M. verdict, on March 24, 2026, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million for violating consumer protection laws and failing to protect children from sexual predators on Facebook and Instagram. The remedy phase of that case is set to begin May 4, 2026, when a judge will decide whether Meta must implement age verification, algorithm changes, and an independent monitor. New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez has said he is seeking court-ordered "changes to the design features of the platform itself."

Together with the K.G.M. verdict, the MDL 3047 docket, the school district claims, and active lawsuits from attorneys general in 41+ states, the legal pressure on social media companies from both private plaintiffs and government entities is at an all-time high heading into the summer 2026 federal bellwether trials.

Key Facts at a Glance

Case: KGM v. Meta Platforms, Inc. & YouTube LLC
Court: Los Angeles Superior Court (JCCP 5255)
Plaintiff: Kaley G.M. (age 20)
Defendants: Meta Platforms (Instagram) and YouTube (Google)
Pre-Trial Settlements: TikTok and Snapchat settled privately (terms undisclosed)
Trial Start: February 10, 2026
Jury Deliberations Began: March 13, 2026
Verdict Date: March 25, 2026
Verdict: Liability found against both Meta and YouTube
Damages: $6,000,000 total — $3M compensatory + $3M punitive
Allocation: Meta 70% / YouTube 30%
Appeal Status: Meta and Google have both stated they will appeal
Related Cases Pending (MDL 3047): ~2,465 individual personal injury cases + ~800 school district claims (N.D. Cal., Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers)
Next Federal Bellwether Trial: Summer 2026
New Mexico v. Meta Remedy Phase: May 4, 2026 ($375M verdict on March 24, 2026)
Claim Form Available: No — this is not a class action settlement

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Sources

• NPR — Jury Finds Meta and Google Negligent in Social Media Harms Trial (March 25, 2026)
• CBS News — Meta and YouTube Found Liable on All Charges in Landmark Social Media Addiction Trial (March 25, 2026)
• NBC News — Jury Finds Meta and YouTube Negligent in Landmark Lawsuit on Social Media Safety (March 25, 2026)
• ABC7 — LA Social Media Addiction Trial: Jury Finds Meta and YouTube Liable, Awards $6 Million in Damages (March 2026)
• Fox Business — Jury Finds Meta, Google Liable in Landmark Social Media Addiction Trial, Awards More Than $6M in Damages (March 2026)
• Wikipedia — K.G.M. v. Meta et al. Case Summary
• EPIC — Jury Finds Meta and Google Negligent in Landmark Social Media Addiction Case
• FOX 11 Los Angeles — Jury Finds Instagram and YouTube Liable in Landmark Social Media Addiction Trial

About This Article

This article was originally published on March 22, 2026 covering the closing days of jury deliberations in K.G.M. v. Meta and YouTube, and was updated on April 23, 2026 to reflect the March 25 verdict ($6 million for the plaintiff, with both companies appealing), the New Mexico verdict against Meta, and the current MDL 3047 docket and bellwether schedule. Reporting is drawn from NPR, CBS News, NBC News, ABC7, Fox Business, FOX 11 Los Angeles, EPIC, and other published sources. OpenClassActions.com is a consumer advocacy and class action news site, and is not a class action administrator or a law firm.

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