"Three of the world's biggest tech companies face a landmark trial in Los Angeles starting this week over claims that their platforms - Meta's Instagram, ByteDance's TikTok and Google's YouTube - deliberately addict and harm children. Jury selection starts this week in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. It's the first time the companies will argue their case before a jury, and the outcome could have profound effects on their businesses and how they will handle children using their platforms."
"The selection process is expected to take at least a few days, with 75 potential jurors questioned each day through at least Thursday. A fourth company named in the lawsuit, Snapchat parent company Snap Inc., settled the case last week for an undisclosed sum. At the core of the case is a 19-year-old identified only by the initials "KGM," whose case could determine how thousands of other, similar lawsuits against social media companies will play out. She and two other plaintiffs have been selected for bellwether trials - essentially test cases for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury and what damages, if any, may be awarded, said Clay Calvert, a nonresident senior fellow of technology policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute."
Three major platforms — Meta's Instagram, ByteDance's TikTok and Google's YouTube — face a landmark Los Angeles trial alleging deliberate design to addict children and worsen mental-health outcomes. Jury selection begins in Los Angeles County Superior Court; Snap settled separately. Plaintiffs include a 19-year-old, KGM, selected as a bellwether plaintiff alongside two others. The lawsuit alleges companies embedded behavioral design features to increase engagement, boosting profits while exacerbating depression and suicidal thoughts among children. Plaintiffs seek damages and argue misconduct could remove First Amendment and Section 230 protections for the companies.
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