"The suits accuse Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok of engineering features that make their apps nearly impossible for kids to put down, like infinite scroll, auto-play videos, frequent notifications and recommendation algorithms, leading in some cases to depression, eating disorders, self-harm and even suicide. (Snapchat is also named as a defendant in these lawsuits, but it settled with the plaintiff in the case going to trial on Tuesday.)"
"The trial starting on Tuesday in LA will give a rare look inside how the most popular and powerful social media platforms operate. Jurors will be presented with thousands of pages of internal documents, including research on children conducted by the companies; expert witnesses; and the testimony of the teenage plaintiff, identified as K.G.M., who says her excessive use of social media led to mental health problems."
"Social media apps have long been accused of being harmful to children. Now those claims will come before a jury for the first time in a trial kicking off Tuesday in a Los Angeles courtroom. A key question will be whether tech companies deliberately built their platforms to hook young users, contributing to a youth mental health crisis. The jury's decision could have big consequences for the tech industry and how children use social media."
State-court litigation in Los Angeles will put claims that social media apps harmed children before a jury, testing whether companies deliberately designed addictive features. Plaintiffs allege platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok engineered infinite scroll, autoplay, frequent notifications and recommendation algorithms that foster excessive use and contributed to depression, eating disorders, self-harm and suicide. More than 1,000 individuals, hundreds of school districts and dozens of state attorneys general have brought suits seeking damages and design changes. The trial will present internal company research, expert testimony and the teenage plaintiff's account, and could influence industry practices and regulation.
Read at Georgia Public Broadcasting
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