A major courtroom battle has begun in California as Meta’s Instagram and Google-owned YouTube face accusations that their platforms were deliberately designed to hook children and harm their mental health.
The case, being heard in Los Angeles Superior Court before Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl and a jury, is being closely watched nationwide because it could shape the future of similar lawsuits across the United States.
According to media reports, the lawsuit has been brought on behalf of a young woman identified only as “K.G.M.” — also referred to as Kaley G.M. — because the alleged damage occurred when she was still a minor.
Her lawyer, Mark Lanier, told the jury that K.G.M. developed serious mental health problems after becoming addicted to Instagram and YouTube.
“These companies built machines designed to addict the brains of children, and they did it on purpose,” Lanier argued in his opening statement.
Media reports further said that he also accused the companies of failing to warn young users about the risks built into the platforms’ design.
To underline his claims, Lanier used a display of children’s blocks spelling out “Addicting,” “Brains,” and “Children.”
“This case is about two of the richest corporations in history who have engineered addiction in children’s brains,” he told jurors, promising to reveal internal company documents and emails, including those involving Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and YouTube executives.
Media reports further said that Lanier highlighted part of a 2015 email in which Zuckerberg reportedly demanded that “time spent increases by 12%” on Meta platforms to meet business targets.
He also alleged that YouTube intentionally focused on young users because the company could charge advertisers more than it could through its separate YouTube Kids platform.
Lanier further accused YouTube of exploiting parents seeking what he called a “digital babysitting service.”
Meta Blames Other Factors In Teen’s Life
Meta’s lawyer, Paul Schmidt, pushed back strongly, telling jurors that Instagram was not the main cause of K.G.M.’s distress.
He argued the young woman had faced serious difficulties at home, including neglect, bullying by her parents, and physical and verbal abuse.
Schmidt said K.G.M. had dealt with domestic turmoil from a very early age, noting she began seeing therapists when she was just three years old.
He displayed statements she had made about her upbringing, including claims that her mother screamed at her, insulted her, and made her feel suicidal.
“I recognise those are tough quotes,” Schmidt told the jury, adding that such psychological distress must be considered in evaluating the case.
Trial Expected To Last Six Weeks
Monday marked the first day of what is expected to be a six-week trial, one that could carry major consequences for social media companies facing mounting legal pressure.
The proceedings are expected to include testimony from
Mark Zuckerberg, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, experts on addiction and mental health, families of children who died and former Meta employees turned whistle blowers.
Wider Impact Across The US
Legal observers say the verdict could set a benchmark for monetary damages and influence thousands of similar cases filed by families, school districts, and state prosecutors nationwide.
In another related case, attorneys general from 29 states have asked a California federal judge to force Meta to significantly change its platforms.
In a filing submitted Monday, the states requested an injunction requiring Meta to remove accounts belonging to users under 13, delete data collected from children under 13 on Facebook and Instagram and, eliminate algorithms and generative AI tools trained on that data.
A separate group of 18 attorneys general pursuing consumer protection claims also urged the court to require Meta to impose time limits blocking school-hour and night time use, disable features like infinite scroll and autoplay and, remove filters that enhance appearance or perceptions of beauty.
Meta’s Teen Safety Measures Dismissed As PR
Meta has introduced new “teen account” features over the past two years, including content filters for users under 16.
However, state attorneys argued these steps amount to little more than “a public relations measure offering minimal real protections.”
Courtroom Draws Families And Public Attention
Around 100 people watched Monday’s proceedings, including parents who believe their children died due to the platforms’ algorithm-driven features, notifications, and engagement tools.
The companies maintain that under federal law, they are not responsible for third-party content posted on their platforms.
Snapchat-parent Snap and TikTok had been named as defendants earlier but settled with K.G.M. last month and are no longer part of the lawsuit.
The outcome of this trial could become a defining moment in the national debate over social media, child safety, and the responsibility of tech giants for the mental health of young users.
Also Read: Meta to Introduce Nudity-Blurring Feature on Instagram https://www.vibesofindia.com/meta-to-introduce-nudity-blurring-feature-on-instagram/
