"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."
"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."
"KGM claims that her use of social media from an early age addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. Importantly, the lawsuit claims that this was done through deliberate design choices made by companies that sought to make their platforms more addictive to children to boost profits. This argument, if successful, could sidestep the companies' First Amendment shield and Section 230, which protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their platforms."
Jury selection opens in Los Angeles County Superior Court for a landmark trial against Meta's Instagram, ByteDance's TikTok and Google's YouTube over allegations of deliberately addicting and harming children. The process will question roughly 75 potential jurors per day and may last several days; Snap settled separately. A 19-year-old plaintiff, identified as "KGM," is a bellwether whose claims that early social media use caused addiction, worsened depression and suicidal thoughts could shape thousands of similar lawsuits. Plaintiffs allege companies used deliberate design choices to increase addiction and profits, potentially evading First Amendment and Section 230 protections.
Read at AP News
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