Meta Platforms, TikTok, and YouTube are set to face heightened legal scrutiny this week as a U.S. court hears a landmark case alleging that social media platforms contributed to youth addiction and mental health harm.
The bellwether trial, taking place in California Superior Court in Los Angeles County, centres on a lawsuit filed by a 19-year-old woman identified as K.G.M. She alleges that the design of the companies’ platforms caused her to develop addictive behaviours as a minor, worsening depressio,n and suicidal thoughts.
The case is the first of several expected to go to trial this year involving claims of “social media addiction” among children. According to the plaintiff’s attorney, Matthew Bergman, it marks the first time major technology firms will be required to defend their products in court over alleged mental health harms.
A jury will determine whether the companies were negligent and whether the plaintiff’s use of the apps was a substantial factor in her mental health challenges, compared with other influences such as third-party content or offline circumstances.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify. The company has said it will argue that its products did not cause the plaintiff’s mental health issues. Snap, which was also named as a defendant, reached a settlement with the plaintiff on January 20, though details were not disclosed. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel had been expected to testify prior to the settlement.
YouTube has said it will argue that its platform is fundamentally different from social media services like Instagram and TikTok and should not be treated the same in court. TikTok declined to comment on its legal strategy.
As the trial begins, the companies are also expanding public efforts to address safety concerns. Meta and TikTok have promoted parental control tools and sponsored school-based workshops aimed at managing teen screen time, as part of broader attempts to reassure parents and regulators amid growing scrutiny of social media’s impact on young users.
