Two teenage plaintiffs will take Meta Platforms and Snap to trial in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, in a significant legal test over allegations that social media platforms contribute to mental health problems among young people. The plaintiffs, identified in court documents as S.J., 16, from Illinois, and K.D.B., 18, from Mississippi, claim that features such as autoplay, infinite scrolling and streaks encouraged compulsive use, leading to depression, anxiety and eating disorders. The trial is expected to continue for several weeks, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel expected to testify.
The case is the second individual lawsuit of its kind to reach trial, following a March verdict in which a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent and awarded $6 million in damages. Both plaintiffs initially sued Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube, but settlements were reached with TikTok and YouTube before the trial, while the Illinois plaintiff also settled with Meta. The current proceedings will address both plaintiffs’ claims against Snap and the Mississippi plaintiff’s claims against Meta. The companies have denied the allegations, arguing that they have introduced safety measures and that several personal and social factors influence young people’s mental health.
The lawsuits are part of a growing legal battle involving thousands of claims against social media companies across the United States. More than 3,000 individual and related cases have been consolidated in Los Angeles, while over 3,800 lawsuits filed by states, school districts and individuals remain pending in federal court in California. Meta also reached settlements worth up to $18 billion in August to resolve claims brought by nearly every US state and territory over the impact of its platforms on teenagers’ mental health. The outcome of the ongoing trials could influence future settlements and determine the extent of social media companies’ legal responsibility for alleged harm to young users.
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