A closely watched trial over alleged social media addiction begins on Tuesday in California, with senior executives from some of the world’s biggest technology companies expected to testify. The case has been brought by a 19-year-old woman, identified in court documents as KGM, who claims that the design of social media platforms made her addicted and caused serious harm to her mental health. She argues that features such as algorithms and notifications encouraged compulsive use and contributed to conditions including depression and eating disorders.
The defendants include Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, TikTok owner ByteDance, and Google, the parent company of YouTube. Snapchat reached a settlement with the plaintiff last week and is no longer part of the trial.
The proceedings at Los Angeles Superior Court are seen as a test case and the first in a potential wave of similar lawsuits. Legal experts say the outcome could challenge long-standing protections that technology companies have relied on to avoid liability in the United States.
For years, social media firms have argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects them from responsibility for harmful content posted by users. However, this case focuses not on user posts but on platform design choices, including recommendation algorithms and engagement-driven features that shape how people interact with the apps.
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