Meta Platforms, TikTok, and YouTube are set to face heightened legal scrutiny this week as a U.S. court hears a landmark case alleging that social media platforms contributed to youth addiction and mental health harm.
The bellwether trial, taking place in California Superior Court in Los Angeles County, centres on a lawsuit filed by a 19-year-old woman identified as K.G.M. She alleges that the design of the companies' platforms caused her to develop addictive behaviours as a minor, worsening depressio,n and suicidal thoughts.
The case is the first of several expected to go to trial this year involving claims of 'social media addiction among children. According to the plaintiff's attorney, Matthew Bergman, it marks the first time major technology firms will be required to defend their products in court over alleged mental health harms.
