Meta and Snap go to trial in Los Angeles over youth social media addiction claims

Mixed · 2Jury selection was due to begin on 28 October in Los Angeles in a trial over the alleged harms of social media to young users, with Meta and, for the first time, Snap as defendants. 1 2 Mixed · 2The plaintiffs are identified in court papers as S.J., a 16-year-old from Illinois, and K.D.B., an 18-year-old from Mississippi. They allege features such as autoplay and infinite scroll drove compulsive use and led to depression, anxiety and eating disorders, and CNA reports they also describe self-harm. They sued in 2023 and seek unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. 2 1 Mixed · 2TikTok and YouTube were originally defendants but settled with both plaintiffs before trial. Meta also settled with the Illinois plaintiff, so the trial covers both plaintiffs' claims against Snap and the Mississippi plaintiff's claims against Meta. A California state judge consolidated the two cases into a single trial. 2 1

Centre · 1Meta and Snap have asked the presiding judge, Carolyn Kuhl of Los Angeles Superior Court, to split the cases into separate trials, arguing a joint trial would unfairly mix up the evidence. CNA reported that she had not yet ruled on the request. 2 Right · 1According to AFP, opening statements are set for 4 November if no further settlements are reached, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel expected to testify from mid-November. 1 Mixed · 2The case follows the first bellwether trial, in which a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman known as KGM (Kaley G.M.), with $6 million in damages. CNA dates that verdict to March, and Meta said it "respectfully disagree[s]" with it. Snap and TikTok had settled with KGM beforehand. 1 2

Mixed · 2Other cases set for trial since then have been settled or dropped. AFP says Snap, TikTok and YouTube settled one set for August, after which that plaintiff, RKC, withdrew the remaining claims against Meta. 1 2 Mixed · 2Meta denies the claims. A spokesperson told CNA that a young person's mental health is shaped by many factors, that the Mississippi plaintiff "used TikTok far more than Instagram or Facebook", and that her personal circumstances were a substantial factor in her struggles. Snap says Snapchat differs from traditional social media because it does not open to a feed, and that the allegations "fundamentally misrepresent" the plaintiffs' experiences. 2 1 Centre · 1Emily Jeffcott, attorney for the Mississippi plaintiff, said the lawyers look forward to educating the jury about endless feeds, autoplay and streaks and how Meta, and allegedly Snap, implemented and emphasised them. 2

Centre · 1The two cases are bellwethers among more than 3,000 lawsuits consolidated in Los Angeles Superior Court, and CNA says more than 3,800 suits by states, school districts and individuals are pending in federal court in California. The companies have argued Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields them; the trial judge ruled it does not bar claims over how the sites are designed. Meta is appealing the March verdict on that ground, and CNA says a win could derail thousands of lawsuits. 2 Mixed · 2Both outlets note Meta's August settlement worth up to $18 billion with state attorneys general, which required changes to teen access to Instagram and Facebook. AFP adds that a New Mexico jury found Meta liable for harms to children with a $942 million penalty, and that a New Mexico judge ordered it to pay $25 billion in a separate data-deception case in October. 2 1