Meta, YouTube must pay $3M to woman who got hooked on apps as a child

A Los Angeles jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay $3 million in damages to a woman who alleged the companies' apps were intentionally designed to addict her as a child, with Meta covering 70 percent and Google 30 percent of the judgment. The jury heard evidence that Meta and Google built features including auto-play, infinite scroll, and algorithmic recommendations specifically to keep users engaged online. The plaintiff, identified as K.G.M., claimed the compulsive app use caused her severe body dysmorphia, depression, and suicidal thoughts, with push notifications making it progressively harder to disengage from the platforms.