Mark Zuckerberg and Meta have lost a 2nd major case in a matter of days! Earlier this week, Meta lost a huge case in New Mexico. In that landmark case, the jury ordered Meta to pay the maximum penalty - $5,000 per violation - which totaled $375 million in civil penalties. Meta was specifically found liable for misleading consumers about the safety of their platform, which included child sexual exploitation.

Well, just one day later, Meta (and YouTube) lost another case - this one in Los Angeles. Both social media sites were found liable for negligence and were accountable for fueling a mental health crisis, including addictive behavior, among children. In this case, they were ordered to pay a total of 3 million dollars - 70% by Meta and 30% by YouTube. TikTok and Snap, also defendants in the lawsuit, settled before the trial began.

The case was brought by a 20-year-old woman, only identified as KGM, whose case highlighted how her early use of social media led to her becoming "addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression."

Various witnesses testified, including addiction experts, therapists, social media platform engineers, and numerous executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. This jury deliberation was longer than the New Mexico one, and there were concerns about a hung jury. They deliberated for over a week, and the trial lasted a full month.

In their verdict, jurors had to consider seven specific questions, including whether Meta and YouTube were negligent in the design or operation of their platforms. Additionally, jurors found that the companies' negligence contributed to the harm and that the sites failed to warn users of potential dangers adequately.

YouTube, which Google owns, put out a statement saying:

"We disagree with the verdict and plan to appeal. This case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site."

Meta was equally disappointed in the verdict, saying:

“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal. Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online."

The 20-year-old plaintiff painted a heartbreaking story of addiction and spiraling mental health issues, including depression and suicidal thoughts. Following the verdict, her lawyers put out a statement calling the case “a historic moment” for children and families.

They went on to say:

"But this verdict is bigger than one case. For years, social media companies have profited from targeting children while concealing their addictive and dangerous design features. Today’s verdict is a referendum — from a jury, to an entire industry — that accountability has arrived."

This case is being seen as a bellwether and could open up social media sites to an avalanche of lawsuits from those who have been harmed.