Meta and Snap face major US legal test of youth social media addiction claims
META•A Los Angeles trial is set to hear claims by two plaintiffs who say social media caused serious mental health problems. Snap faces claims from both plaintiffs, while Meta faces claims from the Mississippi plaintiff; the companies deny the platforms were designed to addict young people.
1. Trial opens in Los Angeles
Jury selection is beginning in the second trial involving individual plaintiffs who allege social media companies deliberately designed addictive platforms. The case is expected to run for several weeks, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel expected to testify.
2. Claims and defendants
The plaintiffs, a 16-year-old girl from Illinois and an 18-year-old woman from Mississippi, say they began using social media as young children and that features including autoplay and infinite scroll led to compulsive use, depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Both settled their claims with TikTok and YouTube before trial; the Illinois plaintiff also settled with Meta. The trial covers both plaintiffs’ claims against Snap and the Mississippi plaintiff’s claims against Meta.
3. Broader litigation
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. Their cases are among more than 3,000 lawsuits consolidated in Los Angeles Superior Court and were selected as bellwethers. In March, a jury found Meta and YouTube negligent and awarded $6 million in damages; Meta is appealing that verdict.
