Meta Platforms, TikTok and YouTube will face courtroom scrutiny this week over allegations their platforms are fuelling a youth mental health crisis as the national debate about childrens screen time enters a new phase.
The bellwether trial in California Superior Court in Los Angeles County involves a 19-year-old woman from California, identified as KGM, who claimed she became addicted to the companies platforms at a young age because of their attention-grabbing design, according to court filings. She alleged the apps fuelled her depression and suicidal thoughts and is seeking to hold the companies liable.
Her lawsuit is the first of several cases expected to go to trial this year that centre on what the plaintiffs call social media addiction among children. It will be the first time the tech giants must defend themselves at trial over alleged harm caused by their products, the plaintiffs attorney Matthew Bergman said. They will be under a level of scrutiny that does not exist when you testify in front of Congress, he told Reuters.
