Meta and Google-owned YouTube have been accused of deliberately designing their platforms to addict children, as a landmark social media trial opened on Monday in a California court.
The case, being heard by a jury in Los Angeles, could set an important legal precedent on whether major technology companies can be held responsible for harm caused to young users by their platforms.
In opening arguments, lawyers for the plaintiffs said Meta and YouTube knowingly created apps that manipulate children’s brains to keep them hooked for profit.
“This case is about two of the richest companies in history engineering addiction in children,” plaintiffs’ lawyer Mark Lanier told the jury. He argued that the companies used algorithms and design features intended to keep young users online for as long as possible.
The trial focuses on a 20-year-old woman identified as Kaley G.M., who claims she suffered serious mental harm after becoming addicted to social media as a child. Her lawyers say she began using YouTube at the age of six and later developed a harmful dependence on Instagram.
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify next week, while Instagram head Adam Mosseri could appear in court as early as Wednesday.
Meta’s lawyer, Paul Schmidt, rejected the claims, arguing that the young woman’s struggles were caused by personal challenges such as bullying and family issues, not Instagram. He told the jury that medical records do not mention social media addiction as a diagnosis.
The case is being closely watched because it is considered a bellwether trial, meaning its outcome could influence hundreds of similar lawsuits across the United States. Social media companies are facing growing legal action from families and school districts who say platforms contribute to depression, eating disorders, and other mental health problems among young users.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs say they will call expert witnesses to explain how children’s brains are still developing and are especially vulnerable to powerful social media algorithms.
Meta and YouTube have defended themselves by pointing to new safety measures introduced in recent years. A YouTube spokesperson said the allegations were “simply not true.”
Snapchat and TikTok were also named in the lawsuit but reached settlement agreements before the trial began. The terms of those settlements were not disclosed.
The trial comes as pressure continues to grow worldwide on technology companies to protect children online and put user wellbeing ahead of profits.
