Tech Giants to Stand Trial in Social Media Addiction Lawsuit
Meta, TikTok, and the parent companies of YouTube have begun to stand trial in a historic lawsuit filed in the United States, which alleges that the design of their platforms leads to addiction and harms the mental health of young people.
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Historic Trial Begins in California
Tech giants have begun to stand trial in a landmark case that could be a turning point for the industry, alleging that the design of social media platforms has addicted users, especially young people. The plaintiff in the case, to be heard in Los Angeles Superior Court, is a 19-year-old woman known only by her initials, KGM. The plaintiff claims that the platform algorithms of Meta (Instagram, Facebook), ByteDance (TikTok), and Google (YouTube) addicted her and had negative effects on her mental health, including eating disorders and depression. Snapchat settled with the plaintiff last week and withdrew from the case.
Platform Responsibility Before a Jury for the First Time
The plaintiff's attorney, Matthew Bergman, stated that this case is the first where social media companies will be held accountable before a jury. Bergman expressed that there are many young people suffering similar distress due to the "dangerous and addictive algorithms imposed on unsuspecting children" by the companies. For a long time, companies have argued that under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act enacted in 1996, they cannot be held liable for third-party posts. However, the subject of this case is the design choices regarding algorithms, notifications, and other features that influence how the apps are used.
Zuckerberg and Other Top Executives to Testify
During the trial, top technology executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are expected to testify. In a 2024 speech before the US Senate, Zuckerberg claimed that "current scientific studies do not show any causal link between social media and worsening mental health in young people." At the same session, upon insistence from a senator, he apologized to victim families present in the chamber. Experts note that technology executives can struggle under such questioning.
Increasing Global Scrutiny and Similar Steps
The case comes amid increasing questioning of social media companies by families, school districts, and prosecutors. Last year, dozens of US states sued Meta, alleging it misled the public about the risks of social media use and contributed to the youth mental health crisis. Australia banned social media for those under 16, and the UK signaled in January that it might take a similar step. These developments indicate that the tolerant approach towards the tech industry is beginning to change. Similarly, the dangerous rise of deepfake 'undressing' technology and the EU's investigation of platform X for sexual deepfakes generated by the Grok AI are fueling debates about platforms' content and algorithm responsibility. On the other hand, failures in child safety are also reinforcing concerns in this area.
Eric Goldman, a law professor at Santa Clara University, stated that losing such cases in court could pose an existential threat to social media companies, but it might be difficult for plaintiffs to link physical harms to content publishers. The trial will feature various pieces of evidence, including quotes from internal company documents, laid before the jury. Although Meta has announced it has introduced dozens of tools to support a safe online environment for young people, some researchers continue to question the effectiveness of these measures.
