tech
January 27, 2026
Tech giants head to landmark US trial over social media addiction claims
Meta, YouTube and TikTok accused of making products intentionally addictive and harmful to young people
TL;DR
- Hundreds of families and school districts are suing Meta, Snap, TikTok, and YouTube, accusing them of designing addictive platforms that harm children's mental health.
- The first trial in Los Angeles, featuring a plaintiff identified as KGM, will serve as a test case for thousands of coordinated lawsuits.
- Plaintiffs are seeking financial damages and changes to platform design, arguing that features like infinite scroll and recommendation algorithms contribute to addiction.
- Snap and TikTok have reached settlement agreements with plaintiffs before their respective trials, denying wrongdoing.
- Legal teams are comparing this strategy to the lawsuits against tobacco companies in the 1990s, anticipating the unsealing of internal company documents and testimonies.
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