KGM v Meta & Google (verdict, 25 March 2026)The first jury verdict
On 25 March 2026 a Los Angeles jury found Meta (Instagram) and Google (YouTube) negligent in the design or operation of their platforms and in failing to warn, and found that this was a substantial factor in harming a young woman who had used them since childhood. Meta argued that her difficulties had other causes. The jury awarded $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages, $6 million in total, and found malice, oppression or fraud for the punitive award. It put 70% of the responsibility on Meta ($4.2 million in total) and 30% on YouTube ($1.8 million in total). Meta and YouTube have both filed notices of appeal.
US Surgeon General (June 2024)Warning labels for social media
In a June 2024 opinion piece, US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy called for a Surgeon General’s warning label on social media platforms, comparable to those on tobacco products. His May 2023 advisory had said social media can have a "profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents".
New Mexico v Meta (24 March and 6 August 2026)$942 million ordered in New Mexico
On 24 March 2026 a Santa Fe jury found that Meta violated New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act and set civil penalties of $375 million. On 6 August 2026 the judge found Meta’s platforms to be a public nuisance and ordered $567 million into a five-year abatement fund for treatment, screening, prevention and related services, bringing the total to $942 million. Meta says it will appeal.
European Commission (6 February 2026)TikTok: preliminary finding under EU law
On 6 February 2026 the European Commission preliminarily found that TikTok’s addictive design, including infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and its personalised recommender system, breaches the Digital Services Act. It is a preliminary finding, not a final decision. A final decision can carry a fine of up to 6% of total worldwide annual turnover. TikTok says the findings are categorically false and entirely meritless.
European Commission (August 2024)A rewards programme withdrawn
On 5 August 2024 the European Commission made legally binding TikTok’s commitment to withdraw the TikTok Lite Rewards programme from the EU permanently, after it opened proceedings over the programme in April 2024. It covers the rewards programme, not the whole app. The full file is in our case files.
KGM v Meta & Google (trial evidence)"Bring them in as tweens"
NPR (Bobby Allyn, 18 February 2026) wrote: “One 2018 internal Meta document stated ‘If we wanna win big with teens, we must bring them in as tweens,’ Lanier pointed out”. This is NPR’s account of trial evidence; other quoted documents are collected in the evidence summary.