The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have welcomed a landmark US court ruling that found Meta and Google liable for a woman’s childhood social media addiction. In a statement, they described the verdict as a “reckoning” for major tech firms, saying families have “paid the price for platforms built with total disregard for the children they reach.”
The decision, delivered by a jury in Los Angeles on Wednesday, determined that Google, which owns YouTube, and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, had intentionally designed their platforms to ensnare young users without adequate regard for their welfare. The lawsuit was brought by a 20-year-old woman who argued that her childhood addiction to social media worsened her mental health.
The jury recommended $6 million (£4.4 million) in damages for the plaintiff. Both Meta and Google have said they disagree with the verdict and plan to appeal. A Meta spokesperson said “teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app,” while Google argued the verdict misunderstood YouTube, which it described as “a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site.”
Snapchat and TikTok were also named in the lawsuit but settled before the trial. The California ruling came a day after a New Mexico jury found Meta liable under state consumer protection law for misleading the public about platform safety and failing to protect children.
Harry and Meghan have long campaigned on the harms of social media. In 2025, they called for stronger online protections for children after unveiling a memorial in New York City for young people who died due to social media’s harmful effects. Their Archewell Foundation also launched the Parents’ Network to support parents of children affected by online harm.
