A California state court trial examining whether Instagram and YouTube harmed a woman’s mental health through addictive app design begins on Monday, in a case that could test the legal liability of major technology platforms.
The lawsuit was filed by a 20-year-old woman identified as K.G.M. against Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and Alphabet’s Google, which owns YouTube. She alleges that the platforms’ attention-driven design features caused addiction from a young age and contributed to depression and suicidal thoughts.
A verdict against the companies could weaken long-standing legal protections that shield internet platforms from liability and open the door to similar lawsuits across the United States.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify during the trial, which is scheduled to run into March. TikTok and Snap settled with the plaintiff before proceedings began.
The plaintiff’s lawyers argue that the companies were negligent in their product design, failed to warn users about risks and created platforms that were a substantial factor in her injuries. If successful, the jury could award compensatory and punitive damages.
Meta and Google are expected to defend themselves by pointing to other factors in the plaintiff’s life, highlighting youth safety initiatives and arguing that they are not responsible for content posted by users.
The case is part of a broader legal backlash against social media companies, which face thousands of similar lawsuits in state and federal courts, as well as increased regulatory scrutiny globally.
