Landmark U.S. Social Media Trial Begins

CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – A landmark trial is now underway in California, testing whether Big Tech can be held legally responsible for allegedly addicting children to social media.

A 20-year-old woman, identified in court as Kaley G-M, is suing Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and Google, which owns YouTube.

Her attorney told jurors the companies deliberately designed their apps to hook young users, citing internal documents that he says show the platforms were built, quote, “to addict the brains of children.”

Meta’s lawyer pushed back, telling the jury Kaley’s personal history, including abuse and family instability, not social media, is at the root of her struggles.

Google and Meta deny the claims.

Legal experts say a verdict against the tech giants could open the floodgates, clearing the way for thousands of similar lawsuits and potentially rewriting how U.S. law treats Big Tech’s liability for user harm.