Emily Jashinsky

constant notifications, and autoplaying videos are engineered to keep kids on social media, driving compulsive use linked to depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicide.

Yesterday, Meta and YouTube ordered to pay KGM $3 million in compensatory damages, Meta on the hook for 70% of the damages, and YouTube covering the rest.

This case, the first in a series of bellwether trials in California.

Bellwether trials are seen as representative of the totality of cases and can act as a test

to gauge how juries may respond to similar suits.

The jury continuing deliberations to determine punitive damages the companies owe for malice or fraud, according to the New York Times.

Legal analysts drawing comparisons to the big tobacco cases of the 1990s, which led to massive payouts and forced sweeping changes to how cigarettes were marketed, especially to minors.

Throughout the trial, Meta's legal team, arguing KGM's mental health issues, stemmed from her troubled home life.

YouTube maintaining it is a streaming platform, not a social media company.

The trial running five weeks, featuring testimony from top executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Yesterday's verdict potentially paving the way for more trials and settlements down the line.

with thousands of other suits already filed.

A spokeswoman for Meta issuing a statement, quote, we respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options.

Google, which owns YouTube, planning to appeal.

Eight more cases in this series are still set to go to trial.

In New Mexico, a separate jury also handing down a major verdict against Meta, on Tuesday ordering the company to pay $375 million after finding it failed to adequately protect children from predators on its platforms.

the civil suit brought by New Mexico's Attorney General Raul Torres.

Throughout the six-week trial, the state arguing Meta publicly portrayed Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp as safe for children, while downplaying the scale of harmful and exploitative content on its platforms.

NBC News legal analyst Misty Maris breaking down the case and the verdict.

After less than a day of deliberations, the jury finding Mehta committed tens of thousands of violations.