A jury in Los Angeles is set to hear final arguments Thursday in a groundbreaking case that could reshape how social media companies are held accountable for their impact on young users.
The proceedings at Spring Street Courthouse will conclude nearly a month of testimony from mental health professionals, addiction specialists, tech engineers and company leaders, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Jurors must now determine whether social media platforms bear responsibility for psychological harm suffered by children who use their services.
The case centers on a 20-year-old woman known in court documents as KGM, though her legal team refers to her as Kaley during proceedings. She alleges that using social media from an early age created an addiction that worsened her depression and thoughts of suicide.
Meta and YouTube, owned by Google, remain as defendants after TikTok and Snap reached settlements prior to trial. This case serves as one of three bellwether trials, meaning the verdict could influence the outcome of thousands of similar lawsuits filed against social media companies nationwide.
Both sides acknowledge that Kaley experienced a troubled home environment. Her legal representatives argue she was targeted as a vulnerable user, while defense attorneys for Meta and YouTube contend she used their platforms to cope with existing mental health issues.
Meta’s defense strategy has emphasized Kaley’s pre-existing difficulties before she began using social media. Company attorney Paul Schmidt previously told the court that the central issue is determining whether the platforms played a significant role in causing Kaley’s psychological struggles.
YouTube’s legal team has taken a different approach, arguing that their platform should not be classified as social media and that its design features do not create addiction.
