A Los Angeles jury has ruled that social media giants Meta and Google-owned Youtube are guilty of negligent platform design that resulted in harm to a young user’s mental health.

The ruling came after several days of deliberation in a personal injury lawsuit that industry experts say will have rippling effects on Big Tech.

The jury agreed with the plaintiff that the platforms’ design features were a “substantial factor” in causing mental health-related harms and that company leaders knew their products could be dangerously addictive. The companies were ordered to split compensatory damages of $3 million, with Meta paying 70 percent and YouTube 30 percent.

The jury later announced an additional $3 million in punitive damages. YouTube’s lawyer apologized to the plaintiff in court, the New York Times reported, saying: “We are sorry for the things you have suffered. We at YouTube truly hope there have been things at YouTube that have enriched your life and allowed you to express yourself.”

Meta says it is exploring legal options to appeal the decision.

“Today, a jury saw the truth and held Meta and Google accountable for designing products that addict and harm children,” said court-appointed plaintiff counsel Lexi Hazam and Previn Warren, in a statement following the decision. “Top tech executives took the stand, and their own internal documents were put before a jury, revealing that company leadership knew their platforms were hurting kids and repeatedly chose profits over children’s safety. This verdict sends an unmistakable message that no company is above accountability when it comes to our children.”