TikTok, Meta, and YouTube face trial over youth addiction claims

TikTok, Meta Platforms, and YouTube are set to face trial in California this week over claims that their platforms contribute to youth addiction and mental health harm, according to a recent report by Reuters.

The case, being heard in Los Angeles County Superior Court, centres on a 19-year-old California woman identified in court filings as K.G.M., who alleges she became addicted to the companies’ platforms while still a minor. She argues that features designed to capture and retain attention contributed to depression and suicidal thoughts, and is seeking to hold the companies legally responsible for the alleged harm, as per the Reuters report.

Jurors will be asked to determine whether the companies were negligent in providing products that damaged K.G.M.’s mental health, and whether her use of the platforms was a substantial factor in her condition compared with other influences, including the content she consumed or circumstances outside the platforms.

Meta’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, is expected to testify. Ahead of the trial, the company said it would argue that its products did not cause the plaintiff’s mental health challenges. YouTube has said it will argue that its services differ fundamentally from social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok and should not be treated as equivalent in court, as per the Reuters report.

Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, which was also named as a defendant, agreed to settle the lawsuit on January 20, though the terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Snap’s chief executive, Evan Spiegel, had been expected to appear as a witness prior to the settlement.