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Landmark Social Media Addiction Trial: Plaintiff to Testify as Tech Giants Defend Platforms
LOS ANGELES, CA – A groundbreaking lawsuit against major social media companies is heating up, with the 20-year-old plaintiff at the heart of the case scheduled to take the stand on Thursday. The woman, identified only as “Kaley,” alleges that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube were intentionally designed to be addictive, leading to significant mental health struggles from a young age.
Kaley’s lawsuit claims her exposure to these “addictive design features” began as early as six years old, with elements like auto-scrolling contributing to her developing anxiety, depression, and body image issues. The case is being heard in the California Superior Court of Los Angeles County, with Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) and YouTube (owned by Google) named as defendants. Snapchat and TikTok, initially included in the suit, reached confidential settlements last month without admitting fault.
Social media companies vehemently deny the allegations. They contend that various other factors influence the mental well-being of young users and emphasize the “guardrails” they’ve implemented, including parental controls for minor accounts.
The trial has already seen high-profile testimony. Last week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed questions regarding age restrictions, app engagement, and filters.
Earlier in the proceedings, Instagram head Adam Mosseri disagreed with the term “addiction” as used in the lawsuit. Mosseri distinguished between “clinical addiction” and “problematic use” of Instagram, acknowledging the latter as a “real” issue where users spend “too much time” on the platform.
He also highlighted the ongoing “tradeoff between safety and speech,” noting user resistance to the removal of Instagram features.
This case is the first of over 1,500 similar lawsuits nationwide to proceed to a jury trial, potentially establishing a critical precedent for how tech companies are held accountable for their product designs.
In previous statements, Meta has asserted its strong disagreement with the allegations, expressing confidence that evidence will demonstrate its “longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” A Meta spokesperson added that the company has made “meaningful changes” to its services, including the introduction of specific accounts for teenage users. Furthermore, Meta suggested that the jury’s focus in Los Angeles should be on whether Instagram was a “substantial factor” in the plaintiff’s mental health challenges, arguing that she faced “many significant, difficult challenges well before she ever used social media.”
YouTube has also refuted the lawsuit’s claims. Spokesperson José Castañeda previously stated, “Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work,” emphasizing the development of “age-appropriate experiences” and “robust controls” for parents, in collaboration with youth, mental health, and parenting experts.