Escalation: Jury Deliberations Begin in Meta Trial

Closing arguments wrapped Thursday after a monthlong trial in Los Angeles. Jurors return Friday to decide whether Instagram or YouTube were negligently designed or operated for minors and whether warnings were lacking. A liability finding would trigger a damages award and a separate punitive phase.

The court left liability for design features on the table while excluding third-party bullying content. Jurors can weigh algorithms, notifications, likes, infinite scroll, autoplay, and image filters. Plaintiff’s counsel said those features were built to hook children and argued that vulnerability at home does not excuse the harm under the eggshell-plaintiff rule.

Meta’s closing centered on Kaley’s family conflict and psychiatric history and asked whether anything would be different without Instagram. Defense lawyers said no therapist tied her condition to social media. Google maintained YouTube did not harm her and that she is not addicted to it.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources