Plaintiff set to testify against tech companies in landmark social media addiction trial

"Defendants know children are in a developmental stage that leaves them particularly vulnerable to the addictive effects of these features. Defendants target them anyway, in pursuit of additional profit."

"The trial is the first in a consolidated group of cases brought against Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snap by more than 1,600 plaintiffs, including over 350 families and over 250 school districts. The plaintiffs accuse the tech companies of knowingly designing addictive products harmful to young users' mental health."

"K.G.M., who was a minor at the time of the incidents outlined in her lawsuit, claims that her early use of social media led to addiction and worsened her mental health problems. Her lawsuit alleges that social media companies made deliberate design choices to make their platforms more addictive to children for purposes of profit."

A bellwether case in Los Angeles County Superior Court marks the first trial against Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap involving over 1,600 plaintiffs, including 350 families and 250 school districts. The plaintiff, identified as K.G.M., claims social media addiction worsened her mental health during childhood. The lawsuit alleges tech companies made deliberate design choices to create addictive products targeting vulnerable children for profit. Plaintiffs argue platforms exploit developmental vulnerabilities through features like endless algorithmic feeds and reward systems. While TikTok and Snap settled with K.G.M., they remain defendants in similar cases. Historically, Section 230 has shielded social media platforms from liability for user-generated content.

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