This week, Meta Platforms, TikTok, and YouTube will face court scrutiny as their platforms are accused of exacerbating the mental health crisis among teenagers. This case marks a new stage in the debate on children’s screen time in the United States.
This landmark court trial will be presided over by the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California, involving a 19-year-old woman named KGM from California.
Court documents show that KGM alleges that the design of these companies’ platforms was attention-grabbing, leading her to be addicted to them in her youth. These applications worsened her depression and suicidal thoughts, prompting her to seek accountability from these companies.
Her lawsuit is expected to be the first of many similar cases scheduled for trial this year, with the common core being what the plaintiffs refer to as the issue of children’s “social media addiction.”
Plaintiffs’ attorney Matthew Bergman stated that this will be the first time that tech giants will have to defend themselves in court regarding the alleged harm caused by their products. “They will face a scrutiny even stricter than testifying before Congress,” he mentioned.
The jury will determine whether the products provided by these companies negligently harmed KGM’s mental health, as well as whether the third-party content she browsed on the applications or her use of these applications was a substantial factor in her depression compared to other aspects of her offline life.
Clay Calvert, a media lawyer from the American Enterprise Institute, stated, “This is a test case, and we will see how these arguments develop,” referring to whether social media platforms can be held responsible for causing harm to the plaintiff.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify in court. Meta’s lawyers have stated they will emphasize that their products did not cause mental health issues for KGM.
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel is also expected to testify, with the company being one of the defendants in this lawsuit. The company agreed to a settlement with KGM on January 20, ending the lawsuit. A company spokesperson declined to comment on the specific details of the settlement agreement.
A senior executive from YouTube stated before the trial that YouTube will argue that the company’s platform is fundamentally different from social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok and should not be lumped together in court.
Currently, these tech companies are launching a nationwide campaign to convince critics that their products are safe for teenagers. They have introduced a series of tools claiming to help parents better control how their children use the platforms and have invested millions of dollars in promoting these features.
Since 2018, Meta has sponsored teenage internet safety parent seminars at dozens of high schools in the United States. One seminar, titled “Screen Smart,” was held in Los Angeles in 2024, with Yvonne Johnson, Chair of the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), and Meta’s Safety Chief Antigone Davis in attendance.
TikTok has also sponsored similar gatherings. According to the company’s website, a program called “Create with Kindness” led by the PTA includes guidance for parents on limiting their children’s nighttime use of electronic screens.
In recent years, Google, the parent company of YouTube, has begun working with the Girl Scouts to educate the public on children’s internet safety. According to the Girl Scouts website, after completing courses on strong passwords, online friendly behavior, and digital privacy, participants can earn a badge featuring the Google logo to wear on their uniform.
These companies have also hired lawyers who have dealt with lawsuits involving addiction issues on behalf of corporations.
According to publicly available profiles, Meta has hired lawyers from the Covington & Burling law firm, which previously represented McKesson Corporation in extensive litigation related to the opioid crisis.
TikTok’s lawyers have also represented Activision Blizzard and Microsoft in a dispute regarding video game design and addiction issues.
Julie Scelfo, founder of the “Mothers Against Media Addiction” alliance supporting banning smartphones in schools, said, “These companies are using every imaginable means of influence, leaving parents very confused about whom to trust.”
(Source: Reuters)