Published March 26, 2026 at 3:53PM
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued a statement following recent jury verdicts in California and New Mexico against Meta, and in California against YouTube, related to claims that social media platforms were designed in ways that harm children’s mental health.
Brown described the verdicts as significant developments in efforts to address concerns about the impact of social media on young users. Brown also noted that Maryland is part of ongoing multistate litigation against Meta, originally filed in October 2023, which alleges the company designed platforms like Instagram and Facebook with addictive features while publicly stating they were safe for younger users. The case involving Maryland remains ongoing.
“The verdict against Meta and YouTube in California, along with the verdict against Meta in New Mexico, are landmark moments in the fight to protect our children from social media platforms that are designed to exploit them. The anxiety, depression, and addiction that millions of young people are experiencing are not accidents — they are the result of deliberate design choices made by companies that put profit over young people’s mental health. These verdicts are a long-overdue reckoning for an industry that has spent years exploiting the vulnerabilities of children while telling parents there was nothing to worry about. Maryland is part of similar multistate federal litigation against Meta because every child across our State and nation deserves protection from platforms that treat them as a commodity and exploit their vulnerabilities. Our children’s wellbeing should not be for sale.”