"A landmark case against social media giants Meta, Alphabet's YouTube and TikTok is set to begin Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. It's the first of several high-profile legal cases kicking off in 2026 that center on allegations that the companies misled the public about the safety of their apps despite knowing that certain design choices contributed to various harms on young users."
"Social media companies have long used Section 230, the part of the Communications Decency Act that protects Internet speech, to shield themselves from liability for the content posted on their platform. That's why in these cases, the plaintiffs are focusing their cases on alleged app-design flaws and related public misrepresentations of the safety of the services as a way to steer the arguments away from Section 230-related protections."
"The case kicking off Tuesday focuses on a young woman who alleges that she became addicted to social media as a minor because of certain features and characteristics of apps like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Snap was also part of the civil lawsuit, but the company behind the app Snapchat reached a settlement with the plaintiff last week before the trial commenced."
Landmark litigation targets major social platforms including Meta, Alphabet's YouTube and TikTok, with a Los Angeles trial beginning over claims of user harms. Plaintiffs allege the companies misled the public about app safety while knowing that design choices contributed to harms among young users. Plaintiffs emphasize alleged app-design flaws and public misrepresentations to avoid Section 230 protections. Observers compare the suits to 1990s Big Tobacco litigation and warn of lasting regulatory and reputational effects. Lawmakers previously questioned executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, about child safety. The Los Angeles case centers on a woman who alleges addiction as a minor; Snap settled before trial. A separate trial is set in Santa Fe.
Read at www.cnbc.com
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