FILE: Landmark US social media addiction trial, with verdict expected to be reached soon

Record ID: 2367422

  • Title: FILE: Landmark US social media addiction trial, with verdict expected to be reached soon
  • Date: 19th March 2026
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - AUGUST 15, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT EXTERIORS SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (FILE - DECEMBER 8, 2025) (REUTERS) REFLECTION IN PERSON'S EYE OF ICONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS  VARIOUS OF PHONE APPLICATION FOLDER WITH ICONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (FILE - NOVEMBER 22, 2025) (REUTERS) VARIOUS
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Facebook Instagram Los Angeles Meta YouTube file sketches social media timeline trial
  • Location: VARIOUS
  • City: VARIOUS
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions,North America
  • Reuters ID: LVA001540519032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A verdict is expected to be reached soon in a landmark trial against social media giants in the U.S., where a young California woman is suing Meta Platforms' Instagram and Google's YouTube.
    The plaintiff in the case, known in court as Kaley G.M., 20, said her childhood social media addiction left her anxious, depressed and insecure of her own looks, yet unable to give up her cellphone without feeling further angst.
    Kaley G.M. said her obsessive use of YouTube starting at age 6 and Instagram at age 9 also disrupted her school performance, robbed her of sleep, stunted her in-person social life and strained family relations.
    Her mental health became so impaired, she told jurors, that she harboured suicidal thoughts and at age 10 began cutting herself as a "coping mechanism to deal with my depression," though she said she never acted on an impulse to take her own life.
    To win the case, Kaley's lawyers must show that the way the companies designed or operated the platforms was a substantial factor in causing or worsening her mental health issues.
    Google and Meta have denied the allegations and said evidence in the case does not support the woman's claims.
    The trial, which began in late January, has also focused on what the companies knew about how social media affects children and their business strategies related to younger users. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified the company discussed but never launched products for children.
    The case is part of a broader global backlash against social media companies over alleged harms to children and teens. Australia has banned under-16s from such platforms, and other countries are considering similar restrictions.
    (Production: Arafat Barbakh, Sarah Wemy, Kokkai Ng)
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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