A major court case involving Google and Meta has hit a roadblock after jurors said they could not agree on a decision following more than a week of talks.
The trial, held in Los Angeles, centers on claims that platforms like YouTube and Instagram caused a young woman to become addicted at an early age.
The jury informed Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl that they are struggling to reach a consensus on one of the two companies. However, they did not say which one.
Judge Kuhl told the jurors to keep trying to reach a decision. She also warned that if they fail to agree, the case may need to be retried with a new jury, NY Post reported.
That would mean more time, more cost, and more stress for everyone involved.
The jury has been reviewing the case for over a week. Their decision is important because it could affect many similar lawsuits across the country.
Parents, schools, and government officials are watching closely, as hundreds of cases have raised similar concerns about social media and young users.
The jury in the social media addiction trial in Los Angeles told the judge on Monday it is having difficulty coming to a consensus with one defendant. https://t.co/DqziNsNgY0
— Reuters Legal (@ReutersLegal) March 24, 2026
Parents Sue Google and Meta
According to Yahoo, at the center of the case is a 20-year-old woman who said she started using YouTube when she was just six years old.
She later became heavily involved in Instagram. In court, she shared that her time on these platforms led to serious mental health struggles, including depression and harmful thoughts.
The lawsuit argues that the companies created systems designed to keep users watching and scrolling for long periods.
It claims these designs may be unsafe, especially for children. Lawyers for the plaintiff said the platforms should have known about the risks and done more to protect young users.
During the trial, jurors were asked to decide if the companies were careless in how their platforms were built.
They also needed to determine whether the apps played a major role in the woman's mental health issues.
However, the defense raised a different point. They suggested that other factors, like family problems and personal struggles, may have contributed more to her condition than social media.
As the jury continues its discussions, no final verdict has been reached. One attorney involved in the case admitted the situation is unclear, saying it is hard to tell what the jury is thinking.
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