Trial Begins Over Claims Instagram and YouTube Harmed Teen Mental Health

A California state court trial examining whether Instagram and YouTube harmed a young woman’s mental health through allegedly addictive design features begins on Monday with opening statements, testing whether major technology platforms can be held legally responsible for harm to children.

The lawsuit was filed by a 20-year-old woman identified as K.G.M. against Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and Google, which owns YouTube. According to court filings, she alleges that the platforms’ attention-driven design hooked her at a young age, contributing to addiction, depression, and suicidal thoughts. She is seeking to hold the companies liable for the harm she says she suffered.

A ruling against the companies could open the door to similar cases in state courts and challenge the tech industry’s long-standing legal defenses in the United States. Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap currently face thousands of related lawsuits in California alone.

Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify during the trial, which could extend into March. TikTok and Snap reached settlements with K.G.M. ahead of the proceedings.

The plaintiff’s attorneys plan to argue that the companies were negligent in designing their platforms, failed to adequately warn users about potential risks, and that the apps were a substantial factor in her injuries. If the jury agrees, it could award damages for pain and suffering and may also consider punitive damages.

Meta and Google are expected to counter the claims by pointing to other influences in K.G.M.’s life, highlighting their efforts to improve youth safety, and distancing themselves from harmful content posted by users.

U.S. law generally shields internet companies from liability for content created by users. If the jury rejects that protection in this case, it could set a precedent for future lawsuits alleging that social media platforms are harmful by design.

Beyond state court cases like K.G.M.’s, the companies are facing more than 2,300 similar lawsuits in federal court brought by parents, school districts, and state attorneys general. A federal judge is currently reviewing the scope of the companies’ liability protections, with the first federal trial potentially beginning as early as June.

Separately, another high-profile trial against Meta also begins Monday in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In that case, the state attorney general accuses the company of exposing children and teenagers to sexual exploitation on its platforms and profiting from it.

The growing wave of U.S. litigation reflects a broader global backlash over the impact of social media on children’s mental health. Countries such as Australia and Spain have banned social media access for users under 16, while several others are considering similar restrictions.