Social media addiction trial: Jury struggling to agree on Google or Meta, what happens if a consensus isn’t reached

A jury in Los Angeles has told the presiding judge that it is struggling to reach a unanimous decision against one of the two defendants in a landmark social media addiction trial. The defendants are Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp-parent company Meta and YouTube, and both tech giants are facing charges for allegedly impacting the mental health of young people through their platforms.

According to a report by news agency Reuters, the jury, which has been deliberating for over a week, sent word to Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl this week that it is having difficulty coming to a consensus on one of the defendants.