Instagram, YouTube face landmark addiction trial in Los Angeles

A closely watched trial examining whether Instagram and YouTube can be held responsible for harming young users through addictive design features began Monday in a California state court, marking a potential turning point for the tech industry.

The case was brought by a 20-year-old woman identified as K.G.M., who alleges that Meta Platforms’ Instagram and Google-owned YouTube contributed to her mental health struggles after she became heavily dependent on the apps as a child.

According to court filings, she claims the platforms’ attention-driven design fueled depression and suicidal thoughts, and she is seeking to hold the companies legally accountable.

Legal experts say a ruling in her favor could open the door to similar lawsuits and weaken the long-standing legal protections that have shielded social media companies from liability for user harm. 

Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap currently face thousands of related cases in California courts alone.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify during the proceedings, which could run into March. TikTok and Snap previously settled with K.G.M. before the trial moved forward.

Her legal team plans to argue that the companies were negligent in designing addictive features and failed to warn users and parents about potential risks.

If jurors agree, they could award damages for pain and suffering and potentially impose punitive penalties.

Meta and Google are expected to counter by citing other influences in the plaintiff’s life, highlighting their youth safety efforts, and arguing they cannot be blamed for content posted by users.