A landmark trial started February 9, 2026, in Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing Meta (Instagram) and Google (YouTube) of deliberately addicting children and harming their mental health. TikTok and Snap settled out of court earlier. The case, led by attorney Mark Lanier, represents thousands of potential lawsuits, focusing on a 20-year-old plaintiff “KGM” as a bellwether.
Lanier argued the platforms engineered addiction like casinos or drugs, citing internal documents. Meta’s “Project Myst” study showed vulnerable kids, especially those with trauma, were highly susceptible, and parental controls were ineffective. Google docs compared YouTube to gambling, while Meta emails called Instagram a “drug” and staff “pushers.” KGM started YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at 9, uploading hundreds of videos early on.
Lanier described her pre-social media life as creative, but addiction allegedly led to depression and suicidal thoughts. He drew parallels to tobacco companies, noting features like “likes” exploit teens’ need for validation.The defense is expected to blame KGM and her parents, but Lanier emphasized her minor status and companies’ targeting of kids despite public safety claims. Jurors must evaluate liability independently over an eight-week trial; Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify.
Sacha Haworth of the Tech Oversight Project called it the start of broader accountability. A parallel New Mexico case accuses Meta of enabling child sexual exploitation. Companies deny wrongdoing, highlighting safety tools. Meta stresses youth support; Google calls claims baseless. This follows suits by over 40 states and global regulations, like bans for under-15s in France and under-16s in Australia.
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