Trial in Los Angeles hears claim Instagram and YouTube are "addiction machines"
A California jury heard opening statements as plaintiff K.G.M. accuses Meta and Google of engineering social media to addict children, while the companies say other factors explain her mental health struggles.
- Trial began Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court before Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl with opening statements from both sides.
- Plaintiff K.G.M., who was a minor when the alleged harms occurred, says Meta and YouTube built platforms designed to addict children.
- Attorney Mark Lanier showed internal documents and a 2015 email from Mark Zuckerberg about increasing time spent on Meta platforms.
- Meta and YouTube lawyers say K.G.M.'s mental health issues stem from family trauma and other personal factors, not platform negligence.
- The six week trial will include testimony from experts, family members, former Meta employees, and expected appearances by Mark Zuckerberg, Adam Mosseri, and Neal Mohan.
- Snap and TikTok settled with the plaintiff last month and are no longer defendants, and the case could set a benchmark for similar suits nationwide.