The world’s largest social media companies have been accused Monday of pushing highly addictive apps on children as a landmark social media trial began in earnest in a California court. The case is being heard before a jury in Los Angeles.
The case involves a 20-year-old woman identified in court as Kaley GM. She alleges she suffered severe mental harm after becoming addicted to social media as a child, Reuters reported.
The trial is being treated as a bellwether case, meaning its outcome could influence hundreds of similar lawsuits across the country. Social media firms face claims that young users became addicted to content, leading to depression, eating disorders, hospitalisation and suicide.
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The trial centres on claims that the companies deliberately designed their apps to keep young users hooked, causing serious mental harm, news agency AFP reported.
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is expected to take the witness stand next week. Instagram head Adam Mosseri could appear in court on Wednesday. Meta also owns Facebook and WhatsApp.
Plaintiffs’ lawyer Mark Lanier told jurors that the case targets what he described as intentional harm to children.
“This case is about two of the richest corporations in history who have engineered addiction in children’s brains,” Lanier said.
Using children’s toy blocks during his opening statement, Lanier said the case was simple. “This case is as easy as A-B-C.”
He explained that the letters stood for addicting, brains and children. He also accused the companies of pursuing “addiction by design”, using props including a toy Ferrari and a miniature slot machine.
“They don’t only build apps; they build traps,” Lanier said.
Meta’s lawyer Paul Schmidt rejected the claims, telling the jury that the young woman at the centre of the case faced difficulties unrelated to Instagram. He said family issues and bullying affected her mental health.
“If you took Instagram away and everything else was the same in Kaley’s life, would her life be completely different, or would she still be struggling with the same things she is today?” Schmidt asked.
He added that an Instagram addiction was not mentioned in her medical records.
Tobacco lawsuits
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said they are using strategies similar to those deployed against tobacco companies in the 1990s and 2000s. Those cases argued that firms knowingly sold harmful products.
Lanier told jurors that Kaley began watching YouTube at the age of six. He said the company did not warn her mother that “the goal was viewer addiction” and that very young children were being targeted despite the risks.
“This is the first time that a social media company has ever had to face a jury for harming kids,” said Matthew Bergman, founder of the Social Media Victims Law Center.
Legal protections under scrutiny
The companies argue they are protected by Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act, which shields platforms from liability for user-generated content. However, plaintiffs say the case is about harmful design choices, not posted content.
Judge Carolyn Kuhl instructed jurors that the companies cannot be held responsible for content created by others, only for their own platform design and operation.
Companies deny allegations
YouTube spokesperson Jose Castaneda said the claims were false.
“The allegations in these complaints are simply not true.”
Meta said it has introduced safeguards for young users and added that “we’re always working to do better”.
Lawyers for YouTube are expected to deliver opening statements on Tuesday.
Other lawsuits and settlements
Snapchat and TikTok were initially named in the lawsuit but reached settlements before the trial began. The terms were not disclosed.
Meta and Google face thousands of similar lawsuits in California. A verdict against them could weaken long-standing legal defences used by technology companies.
Zuckerberg is expected to be called as a witness, and the trial is likely to continue into March. Kaley is also expected to testify. She claims the platforms worsened her depression and suicidal thoughts.
Her lawyers argue that the companies failed to warn users about risks and were negligent in app design. If the jury agrees, it could award damages, including punitive damages.
(With inputs from agencies)
